Visiting Ours
by Brainlock
Summary: The Life of Parkman. From his youth, with notable series milestones, to the day he feels his life has come full circle and is complete. References to "Molly's new company" and "Vigil" stories. Lots of Easter Eggs, can you find them all? MATURE CONTENT!
1. Chapter 1 Left Behind

HEROES - Visiting Ours

Characters: Matt P, Maury P, and Mrs. Parkman.

Disclaimer: I own NUTTINK! Even tho I named Mrs. P!

Chapter One: Left Behind

Matt was banging away at his drum set when he heard the phone ring. He glanced to the chair in the other corner.

The man sitting there made no move, eyes glued to the television, even though Matt knew he couldn't hear a thing over the racket he was making.

He glanced at the figures chattering away on the TV screen and didn't even try for the headache that this "closed captioning" would give him, even though it was the only way his father could be following along to whatever was going on with The Cos or whatever show he was watching.

He sighed. He crashed his cymbal hard, getting the man's attention. "Dad! Phone!"

Maury Parkman was startled by the crash, and looked to his son who pointed at the phone with his drumstick. He nodded his head and got up to answer the ringing, motioning to his 13 year old son to stay quiet for a minute. Maury cast him a sidelong glance, as he wondered why Matt always seemed to know who the call was for, recently. No, let the boy stay a boy as long as he could, probably just a coincidence or ten. He grimaced and banished that thought from his mind once more as he picked up the receiver.

"Parkman residence? ...yeah. yeah, no, I understand. Sure, I can catch the next flight tomorrow morning. ...No, it's not a problem, I'll see you tomorrow afternoon."

With a heavy sigh, he hung up and glanced over at the inquiring look from his son. "What? I have a job to do, Matty. Keeps a roof over your head and food in your belly."

Matt grimaced as his mother came out from the bedroom where she tried to escape Matt's nightly racket "with my sanity intact!" she always teased him. "Who was that on the phone?" she asked.

"Work," Maury answered her, going to her and placing a kiss on her forehead. "I have to leave tomorrow for New York, again. Something came up they need my help with."

"I thought that's why we moved out here to LA, to get away from all these 'emergencies' that keep taking you away," she replied.

Matt could hear the weary anger in her voice whenever his father mentioned his 'work'. He still wasn't sure what his father did, and it was never really discussed. He sat idly at his drum set while he waited for them to 'discuss things', once again.

"Don't start, Ruth," Maury warned, heading to the fridge and pulling a beer out. "I'll be back in a few days, nothing to worry about."

She gave him a weary sigh and returned to the bedroom.

Maury took a swig from his beer and glared after her, rolling his eyes. He glanced at Matt and saw he was trying not to be upset. Again.

"Don't you have school, tomorrow, Matty?" he asked.

Matt knew what that meant. Go to bed so the parents can "talk". He grabbed his sticks and headed off to his bedroom. He silently hoped his parents would have a quick fight, as he could hear them from his room.

"Hey!" Maury called after him.

Matt turned to face his father. "What?" he said, trying to keep the annoyance from being too obvious.

Maury went to him and gave him a quick hug. "I know you guys don't like me gone all the time, but it can't be helped, sometimes, Matty, ok?"

Matt nodded and Maury ruffled his hair.

"Now go to bed, we'll try and keep it down," Maury told him, which caused Matt to give him a double-take. "But no promises," he winked.

Matt blanched as he realized his father wasn't talking about their upcoming argument. He rolled his eyes and tried not to slam his door. He heard chuckling getting softer and his parent's bedroom door close.

Matt threw himself on his bed and pulled his pillow over his head. "I hate my life," he grumbled and hoped for a sound sleep to come early. (but first! he grinned as he pulled his father's magazine out from under his mattress.)

In the opposite bedroom, Maury tried to make his wife see reason. "You know they wouldn't call me unless it was a real emergency they need my help with!"

Ruth glared at him. "Maury..."

"No, Ruth," he cut her off, "I have to go, if I don't there could be consequences. Not just for the Company, but for us as well as the world. I've told you this before."

Ruth sighed. "I know, Maury, I know. You've tried explaining it to me before, but the whole 'Top Secret' stuff doesn't really help, you know?"

He sat next to her on the bed, hugged her to him. "Then you remember that the less you know, the safer you are?"

She reluctantly leaned into him. "yes," she sighed, "I know it's better not to know." He had confessed his abilities to her after she became too suspicious and confronted him several years back.

"I'm sorry," he kissed her head. "You know I'm trying to protect you by keeping you away from them." She nodded without looking up. "I'll be home as soon as I can, you know that, right?"

She nodded again without looking at him. He rubbed her arm as he placed his other hand in her lap, lacing his fingers with hers. His thumb slowly massaged hers and then began inching up.

"Maury!" she giggled.

"Ruth!" he chuckled back, pushing into her so she was laying under him.

She looked up at him and smiled a sad smile. "You know this doesn't let you off the hook, right?"

He eased down and put his head between her legs. "oh yeah? What about this?"

"Maury!" she screamed, laughing.

-

Matt heard his mother cry out and hoped it was in anger. He tried to concentrate on the centerfold. Damn, too late. Not tonight, Matt. Thanks, mom!

-

Maury paused, licked his lips. He glanced over his shoulder and chuckled. Ruth grabbed his ears and pulled him back in.

"Sorry, I thought I heard something."

--

The next morning, Maury was all smiles as he mussed Matt's hair once again, entering their small kitchen, dropping his suitcase by the front door. "Morning, Matty!"

Matt hoped his father washed his hands this morning. Maury chuckled as he pulled out the orange juice and took a swig.

"When's your flight?" Matt asked, making idle conversation.

"Couple hours, plenty of time for me to drop you off at school," he answered, knowing it would embarrass the boy.

True to form, Matt gave his father the meanest glare he could muster that morning as he took another spoonful of cereal.

"So when will you be home, again?" Ruth asked as she entered the kitchen and kissed Maury. Matt ignored them in embarrassment.

"Shouldn't be any later than tomorrow night, I think."

"Good, I'll be waiting with bells on," she teased.

Matt almost choked on his cereal at the sudden mental image. Coughing, he left the table and went to grab his books for school.

Maury and Ruth shared a mischievous chuckle. "Anything you want when you come home?" she asked.

Maury gave her an evil grin. "You," he teased. Matt audibly gagged from his bedroom.

She rolled her eyes. "No, for dinner, dummy!" she slapped him.

"Surprise me."

"There's a sale on brisket down at Ralph's this week?"

"Sounds good to me," he kissed her, then turned toward Matt's room. "Matty? Train's pulling out!"

Ruth broke into giggles again, sending him a mental image. He grinned and kissed her once more as Matt entered the kitchen.

"Geez, get a room, you two!" he groaned.

"Get in the car, young man," his father ordered. "See you later, baby," he kissed her again before following his son out the door.

Ruth locked the door behind them, then sat at the kitchen table. She couldn't help but worry what 'emergency' Maury would find himself involved in this time.

"You ok, Matty?" Maury asked as he drove his son to school.

"Yeah, dad," Matt mumbled. He waited a minute, Maury could hear the question forming in his young mind. "What exactly are you going away for, this time?" he finally asked.

Maury hesitated. He didn't like lying to his son, but it was a necessity in his life to protect him. "Paper emergency."

Matt looked at him. Yeah, I totally buy that.

Maury frowned. "I'm sorry, Matt," he glanced at his son. "You know I wouldn't leave you guys if I didn't have to, right?"

Matt shrugged.

Maury sighed. "Relax, Matty, I'll call you guys tonight, and I should be home tomorrow afternoon or so, ok?"

Shrug.

Maury sighed again as he pulled into the school parking lot. "I'm trying, Matty. I'm trying," he confessed.

Matt reached for the door, then glanced back at his father. "See you tomorrow, I guess."

"Behave yourself, son," Maury said, patting Matt on the shoulder as he turned to get out of the car. Love you, boy.

Matt paused, "yeah, yeah," barely glancing back before closing the door.

Maury sighed and drove to LAX, wondering how long he would really be away this time?

As promised, he called home that night. Matt let his mother get it, then returned to his drumming. She tried to tell him to give her a minute, but he ignored her.

Maury got the picture, his son was mad at him for leaving again. Ruth took the phone in her bedroom, but Maury said it was still hard to hear over Matt's drumming. Even more so as he decided to practice on his cymbals soon after she shut the door. They finally gave up any chance of holding a conversation like that and he promised to call back after Matt had turned in.

Ruth came back into the living room, glaring at her son. He pointedly ignored her as he continued drumming. She finally grabbed his sticks away. "What's wrong with you?" she demanded.

Matt glared at her defiantly. "Nuthin'."

She returned his glare and he finally looked away, sulking.

She simply turned around and went back to her room, drumsticks still in hand. "Don't start with me, Matthew."

Matt sat at his kit for another ten minutes before stomping back to his room and throwing himself on his bed. His head hurt. It had been hurting off and on the last few weeks, and didn't help his schoolwork which his parents already knew he struggled with because of his dyslexia. The only upside to that was his parents didn't force him to learn the Semitic script, as he complained the English letters were hard enough to read without adding a second alphabet. So he didn't get a bar mitzvah on his last birthday, big whoop. Rabbi Blumenfeld would get over it.

He didn't even realize he fell asleep until he woke from a dream. Something about his father and his friends fighting someone, like scenes out of one of his comic books or movie but scarier, still flashed in his mind's eye. Among his father's allies, was a stern looking woman, pale of skin and dark of hair caught his eye in a familiar way. She seemed to know that he saw her, a small flicker of...what, solemn bemusement? He thought he recognized her from somewhere. He shrugged it off, went to the bathroom for some aspirin, then undressed and crawled under the covers. He'd have to ask his father about it when he got home tomorrow night. He hoped.

--

Matt and Ruth barely spoke the next morning. "Are you going to Temple with me this weekend or do you have other plans?"

Matt grunted over his scrambled eggs.

Ruth sighed, "Fine, be that way, but you're not moping around the house all weekend, either."

"Going to the beach with friends," he mumbled.

"Don't forget your lotion, then," she advised. Matt cringed. "Fine, be a lobster, then. See if I care," she teased, as always.

At least he rolled his eyes at that. She was pretty sure he smirked, too.

Matt came home that night to raised voices as he entered the apartment. "It's too dangerous!" he heard his mother yell.

"I have to!" his father shouted back.

He grimaced, if he crashed at Brad's he could call later say and he forgot the time, could he stay there? Then again, that brisket and baked potatoes did smell good, and it was already on the table.

He started to back out the door when his father marched out of his bedroom, suitcase in hand. He stopped when he saw his son standing at the door.

"Matty? (damn)" he asked, caught off guard. "Matty, I'm sorry, I have to go away again."

"Maury, please," Ruth called after her husband, crying.

Matt could tell his father was really upset. He glanced behind the man to see his mother gripping the bedroom door. "What did you do to her?" he accused.

Maury was taken aback. "Matty--? I'm sorry, I have to go."

He reached for his son, but Matt pulled back.

He paused to kneel before his son. "Matty, you may not understand now, but I hope you can forgive me later."

Matt glared at him, accusing eyes making Maury wish he could hide them all away for their own safety. He stood, hung his head in shame, and put his free hand in his pocket. He felt the money clip. He tried to recall how much it was, at least a hundred, hundred and twenty? The clip itself was gold, thanks to Bob Bishop's power. It wasn't much, but it was all he had on him at the moment.

He stood up. "Fine, Matt, hate me for doing this, then," he said as he shoved the bills into Matt's front shorts pocket and patted him on the head. Matt didn't feel his father's lips brush through his hair. Maury was then pushing past his son into the hall. "I'll be in touch if I can," he called over his shoulder.

Matt ignored this and stood holding the doorknob until he heard his father's heavy footsteps disappear. He locked teary eyes with his mother. He found himself running to her and they hugged until they were cried out.

She finally broke free and pushed him into his chair at the table. "The food's getting cold. You need to eat, Matthew."

They never really discussed what had happened that night. Another part of his father's life that he wouldn't understand for over two decades, four decades, really, and even then, he was amazed at the complexity of it all.

Matt decided that night, he wouldn't be a bastard like his father. He would be a good guy. He forced himself to pour over his homework, no matter how much his head hurt. He was smarter than all those mixed up letters and he would prove it to everyone.

His mother even worried that he hardly played his drums any more, and he almost didn't complain when she asked if she could donate them, declaring he hadn't touched them in over six months. He tried to organize a couple guys from school into a band, but that idea fell apart as soon as the guys became more interested in girls than their music.

He had no idea what he wanted to do when he grew up, but it certainly had nothing to do with "paper", like his father. It didn't occur to him until a months later when he and his mother were watching TV and he realized he really enjoyed the way those cops on TV, "Hill Street Blues" and "Miami Vice" made it seem cool to help people. That was realistic enough for him to help people, wasn't it? He knew he couldn't make it through law or even medical school, like on "LA Law" or "St Elsewhere", so he would be a cop and help people every day.

Yep, he could see it now: LAPD Officer Matt Parkman. It actually had a nice ring to it. Heck, he might even make detective if he was lucky. Yeah, right.

To be continued...

________________________________________


	2. Chapter 2 Come Together

HEROES - Visiting Ours

Characters: Matt P, Maury P, Mrs. Parkman, Janice.

Chapter Two: Come Together

The next few years of Matt and Ruth's seemed to fly by as he concentrated on school and she was determined to make a good life for herself and her son.

That first holiday season was hard on them as well, but they did receive a card from Maury with a simple, "I'm sorry. I miss you both. M." This only incensed Matt and Ruth had to stop him from tearing the card up on the spot.

Other than a slight hiccup when she tried to start dating again, which angered Matt to no end, life for the Parkman's was uneventful. Matt had accused her of being unfaithful to her husband, and she tried to make him understand that she was lonely and Maury wasn't coming back. He said he understood, but she knew she had betrayed his trust in her. Divorce, especially in 1980s Los Angeles, had become the norm, and she knew Matt didn't want to accept the fact his father would never walk back in the door one day and they would live happily ever after. Or until she changed the locks on his eighteenth birthday, she always teased him.

Both knew the fact that Ruth and Maury had a passionately volatile marriage, either yelling at the top of their lungs at each other over little things or causing a ruckus of another kind in the bedroom. Either way the pendulum swung, Matt was usually wishing he were somewhere else so he wouldn't overhear. It was part of the reason he started drumming. (altho, truth be told, years later he would wonder to Mohinder Suresh why he wasn't a teleporter when his powers finally developed.)

Matt went on to graduate in the top third of his class and earned a decent scholarship to UCLA. His mother was ecstatic. He was fairly surprised, himself. Then his mother received a letter saying almost all his board and tuition had been paid in advance. They knew Maury had done it, and she still had to argue with Matt to go when he found out. She then nagged him for taking an on-campus dorm, but he argued he was only twenty or thirty minutes away down the 405 if she really needed him. Besides, he and his buddy Brad managed to luck into being roommates, and she's known Brad since they were little, and he's never made fun of him, but usually tried to help Matt with his dyslexia, and...she got the picture, already! Enough!

(He later didn't have the heart to tell her that they had a third roommate, albeit briefly. Amid Halebi shared their cramped dorm room for almost a month, before Brad made a kosher pickle joke which Matt had laughed off. Amid seemed offended and nervous about something after that. A week later, two large men showed up at their door early one morning asking for him. Matt let them in, despite their scowling faces. He turned to Amid, who was horrified at their presence, to say the least, and, without a word, began packing. Matt started to ask what was going on, but one of the men shoved him into a corner and told him in a thick Mid-Eastern accent, "Stay where you are. Jew." Matt started to push the man off, but then saw the holster under his jacket. Amid looked at him with sad eyes, mouthing, "I'm sorry, my father..." as he left. Matt solemnly nodded. He had never really experienced anti-Semitism until now, as he never really acknowledged the faith he was born into. This instance was a sad wake-up call to both young men, who had no problem with each other, but both realized sometimes the world doesn't always make sense and old habits of old men are hard to change.)

The college tuition was the last they would officially hear from Maury that he knew of. The truth was, Matt suspected his father of checking in on them, but never told his mother, although he suspected she knew, too. There were odd times when Matt felt he was being watched by a familiar presence, but no one else was around. Even at his high school graduation, when he managed to pick his mother out of the crowded bleachers and saw she had an empty space beside her. At first, Matt thought she was leaning on her hand before he noticed it looked like she was holding onto something. He saw she had a mixture of pride and sadness on her face; happy for him, but lonely for his father.

She never told him his father was sharing the day from afar by sharing a vision with her, or rather, she shared her vision with him. If Matt had known the truth about his father, this would have explained why it looked why she was holding an invisible hand.

Matt went on to study for eventually joining the Force and met Janice in one of his pre-law classes sophomore year. He asked her for some advice on a paper they had been assigned, and they became study buddies. They hit it off right away and were practically inseparable from then on. Brad even hit it off with her roommate, but that didn't last long. Luckily, he still managed to sleep elsewhere most nights so the couple would have the room to themselves.

Despite all this, he still couldn't shake the feeling someone was watching him. Janice joked he was just being paranoid when he first asked her about it. The strange thing was, he usually got the impression while they were making love, as if someone was their own personal voyeur. He tried to shrug it off as guilt from overhearing his parents..."activities" (gag!) growing up, but he knew that wasn't it, at least, not quite.

He got really weirded out when he received a copy of "The Kama Sutra" in the mail, no return address. Janice denied knowing anything about anyone she knew sending it, but had no compunctions about not-NOT using it, which turned into one long, glorious weekend. He thought they pretty much covered everything and joked they may have invented a few positions not covered.

(He did call his mom and ask her to pass the message along of, "Thanks, but not needed," if she happened to speak to his father. Matt told her not to worry, that he would know what it meant.)

Matt was really enjoying his life for once, and began making inquiries into joining the Academy when Janice dropped a bombshell on him that spring, mid-semester: "I'm late, Matt."

Caught off guard as he concentrated on the swimming letters in his textbook, his initial response was, "Well, you better hurry up and leave, then."

She threw his psych book at him and stormed out. Matt sat there confused for a minute before she realized what she meant. "Holy shit, she's LATE!" He sat there processing this in awe before he realized he better apologize and ran out the door after her.

He found her on the law library steps, head buried in her hands.

"Janice?" He walked up to her, hands in pockets, as humble as he could muster. "Janice, I'm sorry, I didn't know what you meant."

She blatantly ignored him.

He kneeled in front of her, put his hands on her knees. "Whatever you want, I'm here for you."

She stared at him. "What's that supposed to mean?"

He was taken aback. "What? I said I'm here for you, Janice, what else would I mean?"

"You don't get it, do you?" she accused.

Matt fell back to sit on the pavement. "No, I guess not," he said, crossing his arms on his knees. He waited for her to say something.

"Dammit, Matt, this wasn't the plan!" she shouted.

"I know," he nodded.

"I was going to finish school, get hired at a firm, get my career going...THEN! Then, we could start a family!" she cried.

He nodded along with her rant, not knowing what else to do.

"Janice, I'm already making calls about joining the Force, going to the Academy, there's no need for you to drop out--" he shrugged, at a loss for words again. "we'll be fine, you'll see."

"Drop out? DROP OUT??" she yelled. "So I have to give up MY LIFE just because YOU can't keep it in your pants?"

Passing students had started to look to see what the commotion was about, several nearby snorted at this last comment, but Matt tried to ignore them.

"Janice--" he began, feeling his cheeks warm from embarrassment from her outburst.

"No, Matt! Don't you 'Janice' me!" she yelled, pointing her finger in his face.

He didn't try to move it, just let her get her anger out, he thought, then be there to comfort her when she realized he was trying to be the good guy.

"Don't you have anything to say for yourself?"

Okay, maybe not. "I, uh, I thought I'd let you yell out me some more, get it out of your syst--um," Dope! You are such an IDIOT, Matt Parkman!

"Get '_it_' out of my system?!" she yelled.

"Janice, I'm sorry, it was the wrong thing to say," he pleaded. "I meant I was going to let you yell at me all you wanted."

"No," she said sharply. "I think I'm done yelling at you, Matthew. I am done with _YOU_." She stood and walked away.

"What? Janice, no, wait!" He struggled to get up and chase after her down the sidewalk. "Janice, please! I'm sorry!"

He grabbed her arm and she pulled away, trying to ignore him.

"Janice! Please, let me--" she shrugged him off again.

"No, Matt."

Matt dropped to his knees on the sidewalk. "Please, please forgive me!" he pleaded.

She stopped and turned, not realizing he had dropped, she rolled her eyes at him down there.

"Please, baby, please?" He suddenly blurted out. What the hell, go for broke, Parkman! "You got me on my knees, I'm begging, darling, please!" he cried out. Do it, Matt! He smiled at his sure to be stupid display and started singing at the top of his lungs.

"What'll you do when you get lonely  
And nobody's waiting by your side?  
You've been running and hiding much too long.  
You know it's just your foolish pride.

Janice, you've got me on my knees.  
Janice, I'm begging, darling please.  
Janice, darling won't you ease my worried mind.

I tried to give you consolation  
When your old Matt had let you down.  
Like a fool, I fell in love with you,  
Turned my whole world upside down.

Janice, you've got me on my knees.  
Janice, I'm begging, darling please.  
Janice, darling won't you ease my worried mind.

Let's make the best of the situation  
Before I finally go insane.  
Please don't say we'll never find a way  
And tell me all my love's in vain.

Janice, you've got me on my knees.  
Janice, I'm begging, darling please.  
Janice, darling won't you ease my worried mind?"

Janice stared at him. A smattering of onlookers clapped, while others laughed at his spectacle. At that moment, he didn't care whether the laughter was for or against him.

"You're still here. That's good, right?" he asked. "You're, uh, not going to sic Clapton's lawyers on me, are you?"

She stepped up to him, took his head in her hands and kissed him. "You're an incorrigible idiot, you know that Matt?"

"And I'm all yours," he grinned.

"Yeah," she smiled, "you're all mine." She leaned over and kissed him again.

"You know what?" he asked. She shook her head. "I really need to get up, my knees are killing me!" he laughed.

She laughed at him and helped him up.

"We okay?" he asked, brushing his knees.

She smiled at him and pulled him in for another kiss. "I think so, Matt, I think so."

"Good," he said as they started walking back to his dorm room. "You think I should get the band back together?"

"Band? What band?"

He looked at her in mock astonishment. "What, you don't think I pulled that out of my ass, no practice did you? I used to be in a band back in high school!"

"Oh! Well then," she laughed. "That explains why you were so off-key, then!"

"Hey, I was a good drummer!"

"Oh lord, I'm marrying a wannabe drummer! Phil Collins!"

They both stopped short. "W-what?" he stammered. He turned to look at her and saw her eyes were as wide and scared as his. "M-married?"

She bit her lip.

"Uh, well, I, uh," Matt stammered. "I mean, do you want to? If you want to, I want to. Right?"

She looked at him in shock.

"You want to, right?" he took her hands in his, hoping for a clue one way or the other.

"Oh god, what did I say?"

"Um, back to square one?" he asked. She gave him a confused look.

"Okay, well then, let's do this the proper way," he said and dropped to one knee, still holding her hands.

"Oh my god, Matt, you don't have to--" She tried to step back away from him.

"Janice Dawne Albrecht, will you do the honor of making me an honest man?"

"What?"

"Will you marry me?"

"What?"

"Will. You. Marry. Me?"

Tears started flowing.

He smiled up at her, kissed her knuckles.

She held his face again. Smiled and nodded.

"Yes?"

"Yes."

"YES!" he laughed, rising up and kissing her, grabbing her and spinning around. "YES!" He lost his balance and twisted so she would land on him as they fell onto the grass. They kissed some more. "I love you, Janice Dawne Albrecht Parkman," he said.

"I-I love you, too, Matt," she said, giggling at his recitation of her potential name.

"A-hem!" came a voice from behind them.

Matt looked up and saw a campus security guard standing over them.

"uh, hi, officer?" he offered. "Nice day, isn't it?"

"uh-huh, why don't we move it along, you two?" he motioned for them to get up.

Matt and Janice laughed as she stood up and then helped him upright. "Right, we're moving it along, officer, no problem, here! No sir! Everything's just fine! Better than fine!"

They laughed and kissed all the way back to the dorm, arm in arm. Matt would occasionally pick her up and swing her around to kiss her again. He did the same as they entered his room.

"So," he asked, carrying her in on his hips to his bed. "Wanna try for twins?"

"Sure," she laughed and they began tearing each other's clothes off. "I don't think it's going to work, but we can try!"

"Try and try again?" he asked, kissing his way down her breasts.

She laughed, "If you can keep up!"

A minute later, he felt that familiar tickle. Someone was watching them. He glanced around, trying not to arouse her suspicions again. GO AWAY! he screamed mentally.

He felt the presence pull away. Good, he should have thought of that a long time ago! He groaned at the pun and returned his attention to Janice.

An hour later, they were lying together in a tangle of sheets, staring at the ceiling. He rolled over to look at her.

"So," he began, trying how best to put it as he slowly traced his finger from her collarbone down to her breast. "Who do we tell first? My mom or your parents?"

"About what?"

"Don't tell me you did all this just to get me in bed?" he joked. "Trust me, I'm much easier than that as far as you are concerned, my dear." He kissed her shoulder.

"No, Matt," she said grabbing his hand before it went any further down, "I don't want to tell anyone, not yet. Not until we know for sure."

"Know for sure?" he repeated, confused.

"I told you, I'm late," she replied.

"Janice, I thought you were implying," he hesitated, "you know?"

"I don't know yet, Matt."

Matt fell back on the bed. "So, are we still--?"

"Don't you want to?"

"Only if you want to," he told her.

"You don't want to, do you?"

"Janice, it's not as easy as that," he replied, turning back to face her. "I thought you were pregnant, you might be, if you are, then yes, as soon as you want to," he comforted her.

"And if I'm not?"

"Then we're engaged. We take things as they come. No rush to walk down the aisle right now."

"So you're only going to marry me IF I'm pregnant?" She sat up.

"What? No, it's not like that!" He could feel another headache coming on. He sat up and put an arm around her. "I love you Jan. I do. Really."

She didn't pull away as he kissed her shoulder again.

"It would be a great honor if you wanted to marry me, Janice," he told her again.

"We can't rush into this Matt," she said.

He groaned and flopped back down, rubbing his eyes before folding his arms behind his head. She turned to look at him.

"Make you a deal, Jan?"

She raised an eyebrow.

"REGARDLESS if you're pregnant or not, the offer still stands," he told her. "We take our time, regardless? Don't rush into this without thinking everything over?"

She smiled, leaned down beside him. "Promise?"

"Promise."

"Well, in that case," she said and slid her hand under the covers, grabbing him, running a fingernail along under his crown. He groaned. "Want to try for triplets?"

--

The next two months seemed to drift by, as Matt put in his applications to the Academy, with Janice's help. She advised him to be upfront about the dyslexia, just in case. He grumbled and nodded. He was reluctant and still embarrassed after all these years about his secret shame.

Still, they shared knowing glances, enjoying their secrets. Every time they got a moment alone, he was rubbing her belly, whispering to it, trying to feel their growing secret. She thought it was cute at first, but continued to humor him after the novelty had soon started to wear off.

Then came that Wednesday morning. The night before, they had finally agreed to tell their parents that coming weekend. She felt queasy going to bed, so he just cuddled her while chalking it up to nerves over their decision. The next morning, she awoke and immediately bolted for the bathroom.

"MATT!" she yelled, rousing him from his sleep.

He drowsily felt for her in the bed, not finding her. "Jan? What is it?" he mumbled.

"Matt, something's wrong!" she called from the bathroom.

Matt was by her side in a flash. She was sitting on the toilet, holding her stomach. "Jan?"

"Something's wrong, I think I need to go to the doctor," she cried.

He ran back, grabbing her something to put on. When he came back, he helped her stand and glanced down in the bowl and gasped.

"What? What's wrong with me?" she asked, scared out of her mind.

Matt stared down. She followed his gaze and saw the red mass. She began crying.

He hugged her, turning her head. "Shh, it's ok, it's gonna be okay," he consoled her. "We're going to be okay, Jan." He silently recited the prayer he had learned as a child, he hoped he remembered it well enough for this lost chance at life.

He helped her dress, threw some clothes on himself and drove her to the doctor. He didn't say anything else to her, just held her as much as he could. The prayer still echoed through his head like a broken record.

Afterward, he drove her to the beach where they just sat and watched the waves roll in until dark.

He felt that brain tingle again, only this time it was different. It felt sad. Sad for him. He ignored it and hugged Janice closer.

When they finally decided to call it a night, he drove them back to his dorm. "Do you still want to--? this weekend, I mean?" he asked as they turned in. "Just visit them?"

"I think I need to," she said, wearily. "Thanks, Matt."

"I love you, Jan."

She hugged him. "I love you, too, Matt. I'm sorry."

"Don't be, never be sorry about what happened this morning."

She began to cry into his shoulder.

He kissed her head and whispered, "I'm here for you, always. I mean it. Always."

--

The next few days seemed to crawl by. He walked her to her classes on Thursday, not caring if he would be late for his. She told him he didn't have to on Friday morning, but he still did. When Friday evening rolled around, he called his mother to let her know they would still be by that weekend.

"She can't wait to finally meet you," he informed Janice upon returning to their room. "Did you want me to call your parents and let them know we'll be stopping by?"

"No, I can do it," she said, still down about what had happened. Matt hugged her.

They arrived at Ruth's late the next morning. Matt opened the door, calling out, "Mom? We're here!" Geez, this green wallpaper is totally outdated, even for the 70s, much less the 90s, he thought as he stepped into his childhood home.

Ruth came out from her bedroom and immediately hugged her son. "Matthew Hiram Parkman! You never visit me, you barely call, you don't write unless it's for money. Now, what's the special occasion for this?"

Matt pulled away and held his hand out to Janice. "Mom, I told you, I'm not even a half-hour away, and I called you twice this week alone." Before she could start her usual spiel about what could happen to her in half an hour, he cut her off. "Mom, this is my girlfriend, Janice. Jan, this is my mom, Ruth."

"So this is what's been keeping my boy from visiting his dear old mother? That explains a lot! How do you do, dear?" Ruth kissed Janice's cheek in greeting. "Come in, come in! Have a seat, take a load off, why don't you?"

Matt rolled his eyes. "Mom, have you spent all your free time hanging out at Temple, again?"

Janice shot him a look. He suddenly realized he had never mentioned his parent's faith to his fiancé. oops? (Surely, the incident with Amid's departure had nothing to do with that, right?)

"Oh, psh. You're the one visiting your mother on Shabbat. By the way, Rabbi Blumenfeld wants you to call him, Matty," she said, waving him off and leading Janice into the living room.

Matt resisted the urge to call his rabbi 'Matty', before he noticed his drum kit was still set up. He blanched as he saw his "Pakman" drumhead staring back at him. It stood out with the brown wallpaper with flower designs. Matt made a mental note to talk her into redecorating soon. As in, redecorating this very weekend soon.

Janice saw the kit, did a double take, and looked at him, questionably. She made note of the familiar bright yellow circle missing a slice but with an "r" sitting in the middle of that yellow pie for an eye. She couldn't help but laugh, mouthing, "you were serious?" Matt shrugged and turned a shade of red she hadn't seen before.

"Oh, Matty used to play growing up. What was the name, sweetie, Parkman Fever?" Ruth explained as the couple settled on the couch. Janice giggled. "I just never got around to throwing it out, or at least, out of here and into his old room. So, how are you two getting along?"

Matt and Janice shared a look, Ruth could see the sadness in it.

"Alright, spill, what happened?" she asked her son.

Matt looked down at his fingers interlaced with Janice's. A quick glance to her before he answered his mother. "nothing. nothing happened."

Ruth gave them a sideways look. She didn't believe him. She looked from Janice to Matt and back at Janice. "How far along?"

"MOM!" Matt wasn't sure what he was more, angry or embarrassed.

Janice cringed. "This was a bad idea, Matt."

"What? I'm your mother, Matty," she explained. "You don't drop by unless something happened. Since I don't see a ring, then you two must have some other news, yes?"

Matt looked at Janice again before answering. "No, Mom, she's not--" the words caught in his throat. "We're not, I mean--we..."

Janice gave a small sob.

Ruth's hands went to her mouth. "Oh! Oh, Matt! Janice! I'm so sorry! I'm sorry I shouldn't have pushed you--"

"No, Mrs. Parkman, it's okay," Janice answered. "We were planning on telling everyone this weekend anyway, but--"

"Oh, honey!" Ruth reached to take Janice's free hand.

"Everything seemed fine until Wednesday morning," Matt began, then noticed the tears streaming down Janice's face.

"Oh, Janice, I'm so sorry for you, sweetie," Ruth consoled her, pulling her into a hug.

Janice broke down in the arms of a woman she had never met before. She would later tell Matt as they turned in to his 'too small for the two of them' bed (Ruth had insisted they trade for the night, but Matt didn't like the idea of sleeping in the bed his parents once shared. ew!) that night that it made it easier to break the news to her own parents, having told a stranger first.

Matt didn't get offended. He knew his mother too well and what Janice meant and told her, "She isn't a stranger anymore, she's your future mother-in-law." He giggled.

Janice laughed it off. "At least she's letting us sleep together, we might not get to at my parent's tomorrow."

"Please, there's a reason their anniversary is barely like six months before my birthday."

"Oh my God," Janice shot him a panicked look. "You didn't tell her you proposed?"

"Shh! No! I wasn't sure if it was the right time," he answered. "Besides, aren't we taking it slow, not rushing into things?" He kissed her ear.

"Yeah, I guess," she sighed, pulling his arm closer around her.

"This wasn't so bad, meeting my mother, was it?"

"No, not really. Just remember, tomorrow you have to meet BOTH my parents!"

Suddenly, Matt was terrified.

"So what's this about 'Hiram'?" she giggled. "And all those dolls on the shelf?" She recognized Superman, Batman and Robin, Joker, and the bald guy in green and purple armor had to be Luthor. The red lightning guy seemed familiar, but she couldn't place the name, and the guy in green and black and others she was lost on.

"oy!" Matt cringed. "Action figures! They're action figures!" He laughed as she looked over at the 'Super Powers' toys his mother had lined up on a shelf for him in his absence. He named off the ones she didn't recognize, like Flash and Green Lantern, then Cyborg, Martian Manhunter (yes, he's really from Mars!), Hawkman, Firestorm, Dr. Fate, Samurai, Golden Pharaoh, and Red Tornado; and then the villains, Darkseid, Brainiac (_I thought he was a bald green guy?_ He's a robot, now, apparently.), Mantis (_what? The bug?_ Yeah, apparently, he steals superpowers or something? One of Darkseid's evil minions, mwuahaha. _He looks cool, either way._), and DeSaad (_like the Marquis De Sade?_ Probably, he's Darkseid's right hand torturer or something. _He? He's wearing a dress!_ It's a robe! See the hood?) (_If you've got Joker, what about Penguin?_ ...No, he looks too much like my father, so...no. _Okay, what about Aquaman? And Wonder Woman, where's she at?_ Ew, she would be a doll, then! _Can I play with them? _NO! they're collector's items, now! _Geek._ Yep! _I bet you had Underoos, too._ Good NIGHT, Janice! _g'night, Geek!_ 'night, Mrs. Geek!)

He thought he heard somebody else laughing, someone familiar but he couldn't place it. He listened for the source, but figured it was one of the neighbors and shrugged it off. Still, he couldn't help but think, whoever it was, was laughing at him. He mentally pushed it out and hugged Janice tighter as he dozed off.

To be continued...

--

(Note: Original "Layla" lyrics by Eric Clapton and Jim Gordon. No offense meant for their misuse! PLEASE DON'T SUE ME!! All "Super Powers" characters mentioned are owned by DC Comics and Kenner/Hasbro.)

_________________:


	3. Chapter 3 Light and Darkness

HEROES - Visiting Ours

Characters: Matt P, Maury P, Janice, and Mrs. Parkman.

Disclaimer: I own NUTTINK! Even tho I named Mrs. P!

Chapter Three: Light and Darkness

The next few years seemed to fly by for Matt, he didn't get into the Police Academy right away, so he worked for a yogurt delivery store for a few years until he did. "It's a great way to meet people and really get an idea of how the city runs!" he told her.

Janice went on to get her degree and they struggled by in their small apartment. "Come on! It's at least twice as big as my dorm room!" he protested when he first showed her.

When he finally did get in the Academy, he was calling her almost every night to make sure she was ok. She began answering the phone, "I'm fine, Matt."

Only after he had finally joined the Force, had she agreed to set a date. They had tried to keep it simple, but even so, they had almost 200 guests. Matt had his friends Brad and Jeff Jacobs and new LAPD partner, Tom McHenry, as his groomsmen. (Tom even commented about Matt "marrying up" when he first saw Janice. Matt shrugged it off as a compliment, and thought nothing more of it.) Janice had her girlfriends, Lisa, Katie, and Liz as her bridesmaids. Ruth was beside herself with joy over the whole affair, and did her best to ingratiate herself with Janice's parents.

They tried to keep it non-denominational, but Matt finally agreed to step on the glass for Ruth at the last minute. (He had already agreed to his mother's demand of at least a blue cummerbund for his tux, hesitating to wear his dress uniform, but balked at the yarmulke.) Matt didn't even question her choice of escort, Rabbi Blumenfeld, as he had taken a shine to Ruth the last few years, and Matt had relented that it was her life to live. Besides, he always liked the guy, even if he kept trying to sway Janice to let him at least co-perform the ceremony. Matt felt sorry for the rabbi when Janice finally told him to back off, that it was HER wedding! Still, he felt a small twinge of jealousy for his father in his absence.

Don't even get them started about the reception. Brad lived up to his nickname, "Johnny Cocktails", and they had a laugh showing him the video Jeff shot later, when he didn't believe them about the incident with Janice's cousin Jamie, the only one there in a kilt. "The hairy arms and legs should have tipped you off!" they teased.

They also had a bit of fun with her and Matt's look-alike cousin, Seth, but his wife wasn't amused. He had barely managed to make it to the reception from the Air Force base, but Ruth was glad that he had made it at all. Matt confided they weren't really having a honeymoon, just a few days away by themselves was all they could afford. Seth offered to get them a free flight once he got his upcoming job with an airline closed up. Matt said he was going to hold Seth to his promise.

Matt and Janice didn't feel much different afterwards, as they had basically been living together since shortly after they met. Matt was pragmatic about it, and Janice was still busy trying to finish up her degree. Life soon fell into a regular routine for them.

Then Matt got the call from Blumenfeld. Apparently, Ruth had had a heart attack while alone the night before. When he had stopped in the next morning, it was already too late.

Matt would have heard the call go out, but Blumenfeld had called him immediately after 911, not to mention he didn't patrol the precinct his mother lived in, which she had chided him for many a time since joining the Force. Blumenfeld had already told the responding officers that Matt was on his way and they tried to intercept him before he entered, but he was already in the apartment before they realized he was there.

Blumenfeld told Matt he had waited for him before reciting the traditional prayer with him, then he and another officer had to force Matt to remain sitting in the kitchen chair as the paramedics wheeled her body out.

Matt was inconsolable. His mother was all he had besides Janice, and now the woman who had raised him was gone. The woman his father had abandoned. Matt felt alone. So very alone.

Janice tried to comfort him, but he wouldn't have it. She couldn't understand. How could she? She still had both her parents. Matt didn't, not anymore.

Janice tried to take it in stride, saying Matt was angry and grieving and didn't mean it. She tried to get Blumenfeld to talk to him, but the man had no luck, either. Matt even tried to blame him for letting his mother die. Neither had seen Matt lash out like this before, and he had them worried.

Even during the funeral, Blumenfeld cried during his reading of the service prayers. Matt was cried out, and sat there like a statue, ignoring everyone. Janice had to enlist Brad and Jeff to physically move him.

Matt just wanted to go back to her apartment when it was all over. He stumbled in and sat at the kitchen table, lost in his thoughts. Janice watched him as he glanced around, lost in his memories. He finally got up, stood in the doorway of his parent's--no, his mother's bedroom and stared into the room. Blumenfeld had enlisted a few of the other ladies at Temple to replace the bed sheets and cover the mirrors before Matt could get back in. Nothing else looked out of place to Matt.

When Janice went to hug him, he shrugged her off, walked to his drum kit, still set up in the living room, and began banging away. Janice tolerated it as much as she could, before retreating into Ruth's bedroom to escape the ruckus.

She had barely sat down and put her head in her hands when she realized he had stopped. She looked up and the door flew open. "Get out! Get out of my mother's room!" Matt screamed, his face twisted in rage.

Janice looked at him, tears in her eyes.

"GET OUT!" he screamed.

Janice slid past her fuming husband and went back in the kitchen. She grabbed the counter, trying not to cry.

Matt began pounding away on his drums again. He grumbled under his breath, voice cracking. "only memories, faded memories, fading into dull tableaux. I want them back...This is where we used to...I want them--"

She stormed back in the living room.

"That's it!" she yelled, trying to make herself heard over the din. "MATT!"

He stopped, glared at her. "What."

She paused, scared by the dark way he looked as well as how he accused her with a single word.

"I'm sorry," she began. "I'm sorry I can't fix whatever you think is wrong, Matt. I'm sorry you couldn't be here for her! I'm sorry you think you weren't able to save her!"

He glared at her accusations, fuming.

"I'm sorry you don't want our--my--our help with this," she cried. "I'm sorry, Matt."

He turned his face away from her, his jaw working, face contorting.

She went to him, hugging his shoulders from behind. "I'm sorry, Matt." She kissed his ear.

He broke down, sobbing, hugging her arms to him. He let out a mournful wail and leaned into her. "I miss her so much!"

"It's ok, Matt, it's ok," she cried into his ear.

"I'm sorry, I'm sorry," he began crying, holding her arms tighter. "I've been such a bastard, I'm sorry."

"Sh-shh, it's okay, it's okay."

"I should have been here," he cried. "Somebody should have been here to-to watch her, no one was here!"

"Matt, it's okay, these things happen. You can't--"

"No, Jan, you don't get it," he tried to explain between sobs. "It's tradition, when someone dies, someone has to keep watch until the burial," he cried. "It's tradition. It's tradition!" He broke down sobbing again.

Janice didn't quite understand, but she would ask Blumenfeld later. She had heard about covering the mirrors, and Matt had confessed to the prayer recital after her miscarriage, but she didn't know much else about Hebrew traditions outside of Chanukah, even though Matt wasn't even close to devout.

"I couldn't be here for her," he sobbed, "and I couldn't be there for our--"

"Matt, don't," she cut him off. "Don't. The doctor said sometimes these things happen," she cried. "You were there for me then, that's what I needed, and I'm trying to be here for you, now."

She finally got him to lay down (in his old bedroom, of course) and take a nap. She went into the bathroom to get a wet washcloth to wash his face. She was tempted to pull back the cloth over the sink mirror, just for a moment, but decided against it. She splashed some water on her face, then wet the cloth for Matt and went in to his bedroom.

"You're too good for me, you know that, Jan?" he said as she wiped the tears away.

She smiled. "Yet I still put up with you, Matt," and kissed him.

He pulled her down to lay with him and the both of them soon drifted off to an emotionally exhausted sleep.

-

"Matt?"

Matt lifted his head, Janice was still asleep beside him.

"Matt, I know you're home."

"Rabbi?" he quietly called out to the voice, not wanting to wake his wife.

"No, Matt. It's me."

Matt suddenly realized he was standing in the living room, he turned and faced his father. "This is a dream, this has to be a dream, you wouldn't come back, not here, not now!"

A sad smile spread across the elder Parkman's face. "You're right, Matt, this is a dream." He held out his arms, "I'm sorry, Matt. I'm sorry I couldn't be here for you, or for your mother."

"Sorry? SORRY!?" Matt fumed. "That's all you have to say after what, twelve? thirteen years? I'm SORRY??"

"Matt, please--"

"NO! You don't get to be sorry! not now! not ever!"

"I can explain--"

"I don't want to hear it! No explanation you come up with will ever explain why you left us! Why you left h-her, why you left m-me!" he stammered, starting to cry again. "You left us, dammit!"

"I wish I could have stayed, Matty, but--"

"--but you left! You left and you broke her heart! You. Abandoned. Us!" he accused, jabbing his finger into his father's chest with each word.

"Don't you think I've torn myself apart over that, Matt? I did it to pro--"

"NO! No excuse, no apology will ever make it alright! Not ever!"

"I'm sorry, Matt." he said, realizing he would never get through over a dozen years of abandonment by his boy.

Matt gritted his teeth, stepping up to his father. "You don't get to be sorry, you bastard. She died alone. Her body sat here for hours. Where were you? Where were you all these years? Where. Were. You?"

"Where were you, Matt?" Maury asked, hating every syllable that came from his mouth. "You were the man of the house. Where were you when this happened?"

"No. No, you don't get to turn this back on me, old man. YOU abandoned US, I never abandoned her!"

"You left her for that little shiksa in the other room, didn't you?"

"What? I couldn't live my own life? I was supposed to wait here until you came back or we finally could rejoice in the news of your passing? She made me move on, told me to get over you. She even moved on with her life, she had somebody who gave a damn about her, unlike you."

"I know."

Matt was taken aback. "What? You know?"

"I told her to move on. I didn't know if I could ever safely come back to you two, so I told her to move on with her life."

"Liar." he snarled.

"No, Matt, it's true--"

"Get out," he pointed at the door. "Get the fuck out of here and never come back. If I never see you again, it will be too soon."

"Matt--" Maury moved to hug him, but he stepped back, still pointing.

Maury hung his head. "I'm sorry, Matt. I love you, boy."

Before Matt could react, Maury grabbed the back of his head and pulled him into a hug. Matt tried to push him away, beating the man with his fists, but Maury only hugged him harder. "You bastard! Let me go, you fucking bastard!"

Maury didn't yield. Matt finally gave in and started crying into his father's shoulder, hugging him back. "You left us," Matt cried. "You left us!"

"I know. I'm sorry, Matt. I'm so sorry for that. I never wanted to leave you alone like that." He kissed his son's head. "You have no idea how sorry I am. I just hope one day you can understand why I had to, and just maybe, maybe you can forgive me for it."

Matt pulled away and stared at his father. He pulled back and Maury took the hit like he wanted it and deserved it. Matt stood over him, fists clenching.

Maury nodded and waved his son back, as he picked himself up. "Feel better?" he asked, working his jaw.

"Not even close."

"Don't let your anger for me eat you up, Matt. It's not healthy."

"What do you care?"

"I'm your father, Matt. I'll always care."

"Liar. You never would've left--"

"You don't know anything about why I left, Matt. I did it to protect you and Ruth. Your mother insisted--"

"NO! You don't get to say her name! You lost that privilege when you walked out that door! When you walked out on us!"

Maury gave his son that sad smile again. "If that's what you want, fine." Maury took a step towards his son. "Just remember, I did it to protect you, Matty."

Before he could protest, the elder man quickly clapped his hand behind Matt's head again and Matt felt himself lose his balance. He fell back to the couch and collapsed. When he looked up, Matt found himself alone in the room.

"Matt?" Janice called out, "Where are you?"

Matt looked around. What happened? Had Maury really been here? Was it a dream? It had to be, no way could his father leave that quickly, and if so, how did he wind up on the couch? His hand hurt.

"Matt?" Janice was in the doorway of his old room, wiping sleep from her eyes. "Are you okay? I didn't hear you get up."

"Neither did I," Matt muttered, working his fingers open and closed.

"What?"

"Nothing," Matt said, glancing around. He noticed his mother's door was closed. Hadn't he left it open after chasing Janice out? He bolted for it, throwing the door open, expecting to find his father in there.

The room was still empty.

"Matt are you okay? What's wrong."

Then he noticed it. A thick yellow manila envelope on the bed. A red rose on his mother's nightstand. He still couldn't force himself to enter the room, not even when he yelled at Janice, earlier.

She came up behind him, putting a hand on his shoulder. He jumped. "Sorry," she consoled him as she looked over his shoulder. Her eye caught the envelope, too. "I didn't see that, earlier. Was Rabbi Blumenfeld over while we were asleep?"

"N-No," Matt stammered. He knew who left it. "No one was here, you must not have seen it, earlier." His eyes never left the bed.

She didn't believe him and pushed past him into the room.

"Jan, don't!" he called after her, still the little boy forbidden to enter his parent's private domain.

She picked up the envelope. "Matt."

"What?"

"No, it says, 'Matt' on it, it's for you."

"I don't want it," he said, turning away and returning to the couch.

Janice rolled her eyes. "Grow up, Matt, I'm not cleaning out this room by myself."

"We're not cleaning it out," he replied, dropping back onto the couch.

"So what? We're going to keep two apartments?" she scolded him. "Matt, we can barely afford the one we have now."

He ignored her as she sat down next to him, drawing up her knees, offering him the envelope which he pointedly ignored.

She looked around. "Then again, this place is bigger than ours. Is there rent control? Since you lived here before, maybe we could talk the landlord into--"

"No, Jan, we're not living here. This was my mother's home. We're not--"

"I'm sorry, Matt, but you have to realize, we have to think about things like this, now. She's gone, remember the good times and--"

"Stop it."

"Oh, like I've never lost anyone? I had to help my mother pack her parent's house up and sell that when my grandfather died. I'm sorry, but it's something we're going to have to do, Matt."

He turned to her, trying to keep the anger from boiling out again.

"WE can get through this," she said, grabbing his hand. "Together."

He turned his head and rested it on her shoulder. "I'm sorry, I just don't want to think about that right now. Give me a few days?"

She kissed his head. "Together, Matt."

He closed his eyes and let out a long, mournful sigh.

"So, do you want to see what's in the envelope, now?"

"Not really." He knew who it was from. It was probably a long letter making lists of excuses.

She turned it over and began opening it.

"Opening someone else's mail is a federal offense, Jan."

"One, it wasn't sent through the mail, it was left on your mother's bed. Two, it was left for you. Three, what are you going to do, arrest me?" She smiled at him, but his eyes were still closed. A frown was all the reaction he gave. She sighed and pulled out the papers. A handful of photographs thrown in fell out.

Janice looked over the papers as Matt picked up the photos. They were of him growing up. He flipped through them, absentmindedly, as he slowly remembered when and where they were taken. A smile crept into the corner of his mouth.

"Matt?"

"Do I want to know?"

"Some of these papers are letters between your parents, but the others--?"

"What?"

"There are medical records, some financial stuff, legal stuff even I'm not sure about. What did your parents do again?"

"He worked for a 'paper company'," Matt scoffed, "but I knew that wasn't the truth. I never knew what he really did. Mom had a couple part-time jobs, nothing too long, but it was extra money. I guess dad was still supporting us financially after he left, like my college, as we never really went without. I think the jobs were more 'getting out of the house' than actually needing the money. I never really asked."

"Well, I'm clueless on these medical papers, but they look like they're...yours?"

"Let me see those," Matt said, grabbing the papers she was looking at. "I don't remember ever going to the hospital for anything, but these go into my teens? What's going on, here?"

"I don't know, Matt," she said, her voice shaking, "but these financial papers?"

"Yeah?" Matt answered, still poring over his medical records, the words were useless, the diagrams weren't too much better, but he was getting the feeling he was part of some experiment or something he knew nothing about.

"Matt, your mom had some serious change in the bank. Didn't you say your tuition was already paid for?"

"Yeah, some scholarship from some law firm back East. New York, where dad's from, originally." He looked at her. "I always assumed dad set it up and paid for it for me? Mom never really let me know, just showed me the letter from UCLA that everything was paid for."

"You don't know who it was from?"

"No, just that the scholarship took most of the cost off us, and what was left, mom acted like she was still struggling with it. I guess not?"

"I should say," Janice told him. "It looks like your parents were just south of rich."

Matt looked at her. "W-what? What are you talking about?"

"Matt, according to this, your mom had enough in the bank to live in a decent-sized house, even for LA, with a maid, pool boy, the works!"

Matt shuddered at the thought of his mother making time with someone younger than him who skimmed her pool.

"So, what? Are you saying this is all mine, that he doesn't have a claim to it? Or is my father trying to buy me off?"

"Matt, look," she said, pointing at a list of numbers. Matt couldn't get them to stop dancing, but he got the gist of it. There were a lot of numbers, and it was all in the black. "What do you want to do about this?"

Matt sat back, suddenly nervous. He was trying to decide whether to cry, laugh, or curse his father out (again?) when Janice leaned into him.

"At the least, we can put down on a place of our own, Matt!"

He eyed her suspiciously for a moment. "No."

"No? Matt, we could pay off everything, put down, if not outright BUY ourselves a house and start a family with this! We won't have to worry about anything for a long time!"

"No, Jan, we're not doing anything of the sort!" He shouted, getting up and pacing in front of her on the couch. "HE put that money there! He's trying to buy me off! Trying to make up for not being here for her! For me! For all these years!"

"Fine then," she said, dejected. "What do you suggest, we just give it away?"

He stopped, looked at her. "Yes! Exactly! We give it away! We donate it all to charity! Let some good come from that miserable bastard for once!"

She sighed. She was silently glad that he had no idea what he was looking at, right now.

"Compromise?" she asked. He raised an eyebrow at her. "How about we use this money to pay off all our debt, then donate most, not all, most of it to charity. Keep some for a rainy day emergency?"

He fumed at her. She could see he was not happy with her at the moment. "Why throw all this money away just because you're mad at your father? Let him help us out, then help others out? Fair? After all, it looks like most of this has been building for years, not just recently deposited."

Matt kneeled before her and hugged her. "Fine, whatever. Sounds fair to me," he sighed.

"So we can buy a house?"

Matt sighed, "We're not buying a house with that money!"

"Matt, this money was your mother's. It's now yours, free and clear," she explained. "As her only heir, you are entitled to it and I'm sure she would want you to spend it as you see fit, and that includes buying yourself and your wife a house so you can start a family!"

"Janice, you don't know where this money came from!" Matt protested. "My father could have been laundering money for the mob!"

"The Jewish mob?" she asked, not evenly remotely convinced. "In LA, of all places?"

"Where do you think they get all the money for the movies?"

WHAP! Janice slugged him with the couch pillow as hard as she could. Matt fell over in mock astonishment.

"What? I told you, he's from New York, originally. LOTS of mob activity in the Big Apple!"

WHAP!

"Jersey's just across the river!"

WHAP!

"I'm the son of a Made Man!" he laughed.

WHAPPITY-WHAP!

"It's better than being a Jewish-American Princ--"

WHAP!

"You know your initials are JAP, now, too, right?"

WHAP!

"Can I get a puppy?"

Whoosh!

"HA! Swing and a m--fft!"

WHAP!

"Time Out!"

"House?"

"No."

WHAP!

"You know--"

WHAP!

"--spousal abuse isn't just to women--"

WHAP!

"--men receive a surprising amount of it, I've learned."

"House?"

"No."

WHAP!

"And I'm done. Enjoy your night on the couch, Janice."

She swung again, but Matt blocked it, grabbed and threw the pillow into the kitchen as he got up and returned to his bedroom for the night.

"Okay, you can have a puppy!" she called after him.

"No house!" came his reply.

Matt never got his puppy, but he finally relented and let Janice use part of the money to put down on the house they would eventually share.

He never told her what he did with the rest of his inheritance. That was a secret best kept between him and the person he entrusted it to, to see it's dispersal. Matt really didn't want to know where it went, just that it was going to be put to good use with people who really needed it more than himself.

To be continued....

__________________

_BIG thanks to CSI:NY for the death/funeral watch tradition! I happened to have it on in bkgrd as I was (re)writing that part, even tho it was supposed to be CSI:M after SNL._

_(coincidentally, it GS'd Sam Huntington who played Jimmy Olsen in "Superman Returns"!)_

_And "The Old Apartment" was written by Steven Page and Ed Robertson. ** Long Live the Ladies!**_


	4. Chapter 4 Vigil

HEROES - Visiting Ours

Characters: Matt P, Maury P, Janice, Angela, Audrey, etc

Disclaimer: I own NUTTINK! And spoilers for 3.8 "Villains".

This chapter also ties into my previous stories, "Vigil" and "Molly's new company." Spoilage if you haven't read those.

Chapter Four: Vigil

November 9, 2006

Maury Parkman looked around his dingy apartment. He hated lying low, but after what had happened to Arthur Petrelli, he thought it best to play it safe, for now. Besides that, he had sensed someone trying to find him, someone who he had crossed paths with very recently.

That little girl who had been spying on Matt had been trying to find him again, as well. He had managed to hide from her and traced her location back to a Company facility in LA, then, and more recently, New York City. He didn't know what her interest was in Matt, but he knew he couldn't let her find him, even if she was being forced to by the Company. He had sent her a few nightmares to scare her off, and it seemed to have worked for the time being.

He had the feeling something was going to happen, and soon. He just wasn't sure what. He flipped open the morning paper and sipped his coffee. Nothing much out of the ordinary going on. Still loaded with election results.

Then he saw it: "NY Congressman-elect Severely Burned. Mystery Attack Almost Claims Life." He almost dismissed it, but the name caught his eye, Nathan Petrelli. The small grainy newsprint photo confirmed it. That was Arthur and Angie's kid!

He knew Arthur and Danny Linderman had made some scheme to blow up New York, but he didn't know the details. Could Danny have gone through with the plot since Arthur's death? Had he used Arthur's own son, Nathan, as a pawn, sacrificing him to gain power? Maury read the article several times over for more information.

He couldn't believe the other name associated with the events of the night before: "Matt Parkman, formerly of the LAPD, was severely wounded by four bullets to the chest in apparent defense of Congressman Petrelli. Another man, who's name is being withheld, but is reportedly from Las Vegas, NV, was also taken from the scene with gunshot wounds. Both men are reported to be in stable condition."

"No! Not my Matty!" he gasped. Who was the mystery Vegas man? Certainly not Danny. Maybe one of his henchmen who had been involved with the events? If so, Matt could still be in danger if this was still Danny carrying out Arthur's plan.

He had to find out. He fought the temptation to call Angela, but surely she wouldn't betray him if he told her he had no idea what was going to happen, would she? One concerned parent to another over a mutual crisis. Better safe than sorry, call her at home, offer condolences. She'll be at the hospital checking on the boys, but better make sure.

He dialed the Petrelli home and the maid picked up. "Hi, this is a friend of Arthur and Angela's," he said, trying to play it cool and pick her brain at the same time. "I saw the paper this morning and just wanted to offer my condolences on what happened. Will Nathan be okay?"

"It's too early to tell, sir. Can I get your name and have Mrs. Petrelli call you back as soon as she is able?"

"Uh, that's okay, just tell her an old friend called, and wanted to check on the boys. Thanks." He hung up.

He now had the hospital and Angela's cell number. Still, better play it safe. He sent his thoughts out, touching hers. "Your phone's ringing, find a secluded spot."

Angela had been talking to Kaito again, making arrangements for Janice after Audrey let her know she had contacted Matt's wife. "Oh, excuse me, I just remembered I need to talk to someone, Kaito. I'll just be a minute." He nodded and left her alone in the waiting room.

She pulled out her phone and pretended to make a call. "What do you want, Maury?" she said coldly.

"I'm sorry, Angie, I just saw the paper and it mentioned what happened to our boys last night. Is everyone okay?"

"No, they are not," she informed him. "Peter nearly turned the city into a nuclear wasteland and Nathan tried to save him, almost at the cost of his own life. He has severe radiation burns and may not make it."

"Peter was involved, too? How is he? What about Matty?"

"Peter has literally disappeared. I've been too busy this morning to look for him." She took a deep breath before telling him about their shared son. "Matthew is upstairs with four bullets to his chest. He's been stabilized and should be fine. There was a woman from the FBI looking for him, she called his wife and I offered to fly her out here from LA. Is there anything else you need to know?"

"Who was the guy from Vegas that got shot? One of Danny's men? Is my boy still in danger?" he pleaded.

"I'm not sure who the other man is, but Daniel is dead, as well. I believe our other victim of last night's drama was one of his pet guinea pigs. I haven't seen the man, yet, nor do I know his name. I had to lie to the police and hospital staff and say Matthew tried to protect Nathan from being attacked. As far as they are concerned, Matthew was merely a tourist in the right place at the right time, and they seem to have bought it, for now."

Maury gave a sigh of relief. "Angie, I'm sorry this happened. If I had known what was coming, I would have been there to help prevent it. You know I would."

Angela remained cold. "I'm sure you would have, Maury, but you aren't needed, now. I have things under control. No need to come out from whatever rock you're hiding under, wherever you are."

"I'm sorry, Ang," he replied. "If I had known anything would have happened to any of our boys, I would have tried to prevent it, you know that, right?"

"Maury Parkman, you are a liar, a voyeur, and a coward. You stay away from my children, do you understand me?"

"He's my son, too, Angie! You made me raise him! You said I had to! I would have done it, regardless!"

"And yet you ran out on him when Arthur yanked your chain, isn't that right?" she asked. "Tell me, does Arthur still hold sway over you? Does Matthew still hold a grudge against you for abandoning him all those years ago?"

"He's my son, Angela! I would do anything to protect him! To save his life!"

"Then where were you last night, Maury?" she snarled. "Get out of my head, and if I even suspect you of snooping, I will make sure you pay with your life!"

With that, Maury found his mental rapport broken. "Dammit, Angie, I just wanted to know if my son was alright!" he sobbed in his tiny apartment, suddenly feeling very alone.

-

Back in New York, Kaito re-entered the waiting room. "Is everything all right, Angela?"

She stared at the phone in her hand, having taken it away from her head, mid-conversation. She calmed herself before answering. "Of course, Kaito. Why wouldn't it be?"

"Your nose is bleeding," he informed her, reaching for the box of tissues nearest her.

She felt her upper lip and looked at her bloody fingertip. "So I am. Just stressed out over the last few hours. I could really use a nap, but I don't want to leave my boys."

Kaito raised an eyebrow, not believing her for a second. "You're no good to them when you are dead on your feet, as well. I suggest going home and taking a nap, freshen up and return this afternoon. Perhaps see if you can locate Peter in your dreams?"

Angela smiled at her friend. "Perhaps you're right, Kaito. I'll do just that. Just let me inform the doctors how to contact me just in case, first. Who knows, maybe I can locate Hiro for you, as well?"

Kaito gave her a curt nod. "That might not be necessary. I have a feeling he is where he is supposed to be, right now. I just have to be patient and wait for his return." She smiled at him and he followed her out.

-

Meanwhile, Maury found himself scanning the floors of the hospital building, looking for his son's familiar pattern.

He found another familiar one, but it wasn't the one he was expecting. It was the girl.

Luckily, her thoughts were concentrated on his son, her "Hero", and not the other two in the room. He didn't even have to probe her mind as she kept reliving the events of their meeting in LA and the night before in her head.

Maury couldn't have been more proud of his son upon learning how the two had met. This girl was no threat to him, she idolized his son as a protector and wanted nothing more than to see him rise up out of his bed, completely whole and healthy, and take her home with him. He beamed with pride and focused on Matt once more.

Nothing. Worse, it was an absence of nothing, like he wasn't even there. A psychic void. What? Where was Matt?

He scanned the other two, deep in conversation. The Indian man with the English accent was relaying the previous night's events to the woman. She was the FBI woman Angela had mentioned!

Maury listened to them both for a second. He tried to make note of the names being mentioned. He recognized Bennet and a "Harry Fl-Bishop"? Fletcher was here? No, Bishop tried to throw her off his scent and failed. Idiot schmuck, Maury thought.

What he did learn was Matt had tried to be the hero, by taking out the man, this "Sylar", who killed the girl's parents among many others, but his son underestimated his opponent and nearly paid the price with his own life. The girl was being used by the Company as a "tracking system," which explains her recent intrusions toward him. That was her ability, to find people. Who else was she forced into looking for? How many people had been abducted because they duped this girl?

The woman was taking this story in, but she was also thinking about something else. She wanted both his son and this Indian. Both. Now. He could see the fantasy begin in her head about what she wanted to do with them. He smiled. This woman had quite the imagination!

He turned back to Matt. He gathered her erotic thoughts and sent them into Matt. Nothing.

Wait! The corner of his lip moved! He could swear it did!

He turned his attention back to the woman for another helping of her fantasy in hopes of another reaction.

Nothing. That same psychic static he was sensing around Matt. What was going on?

"Gorgeous hunk of caramel...unconscious cutie...Sexy chocolate!"

He laughed as these thoughts came rushing back to him from her. Someone was in the hallway with her? Better hide in Matt! Whoever it was, had his own powerful psychic mojo, and he was bluffed, for now. He moved on.

Maury thought he was familiar somehow. Wasn't he that Bahaman kid Angie took under her wing? No, not Bahaman, but somewhere down there. Haiti? Yeah, that was it, he was Haitian, and worked for Angela as well as partnered with Noah Bennet after Claude 'escaped' from the Company's clutches. Lucky bastard. He had liked Claude, and Maury was one of the few he couldn't spy on, because his invisibility had no psychic filter to speak of. Charles had thought of him in passing that last time they were all together for that group photo, hadn't he? Too late to ask him why, now.

He had read about Charles' passing, but it wasn't unexpected. At least he went out peacefully. He had had to leave that last party early, even though he was hosting it. Victoria had reluctantly attended, but she left with him to make sure he was alright. He had heard that Peter Petrelli was his hospice nurse that last few weeks. Considering his parents, nursing was the last thing he expected from that family.

Arthur's death earlier this year was unexpected as well. But a heart attack is a heart attack. Guess the stress of his powers and plotting to destroy the world had been too much for him? Too bad Danny hadn't been nearby to save him. Who knows, maybe he had had a couple attacks before and Danny-boy saved his master like a good puppy?

And Danny? He would have to find out what, exactly, happened with him, as apparently he died in the previous night's drama, as well. Angela knew of it, but his death had yet to be reported. Had she done him in? Or just foreseen it? He would have to look into it. For now, where did that blonde go?

He quickly located her in the women's room down the hall from Matt's room. Oh, yes! Jackpot! She was having a very vivid fantasy involving his son, the Indian man, and that Haitian! He lad to laugh as he soaked up her fantasy. He wondered if Matt knew what she wanted to do to him, using his own cuffs, even? Maybe send him this fantasy in a dream, later on? Yeah, that would be for the best, right now.

Speaking of right now, he decided to enjoy her fantasy another way while he was watching. Spying on other's sexual fantasies was better than porn, he always mused, and this one was too good to pass up!

"MAURY!"

What the f--??

"MAURY!"

"Who is that? Who's there?" he asked. He began mentally scanning the area around Matt for another psychic intruder, just in case.

"MAURY! IT'S ARTHUR! I NEED YOUR HELP!"

Maury was flabbergasted. "Arthur? But you're dead! Who are you?"

"It's really me, Maury. I've just been told the news. What happened? Where are my boys? Where's Daniel? I can't find any of them! I need more information, and I need it now!"

"No! No way! You died! Angela cremated you!"

"No, Angela is the one who tried to kill me, so I made her think she did. I need your help and I need information. Now."

Maury threw up a mental wall. It couldn't be! Arthur was dead! He had to find a new place to hide.

Suddenly, Maury felt as if he had been struck a crushing blow. He fell to the floor. His mental wall was being destroyed.

"Maury! You can't hide from me! I have need of you!"

Maury Parkman writhed as he felt his soul being turned inside out as whoever this was invaded his head, his mind, his very soul in search of--what? He felt his most recent memories being razed, shredded and reformed to prove their authenticity. His body cried out in pain.

"STOP! Stop it!" he finally managed to push the invader out for a bare moment. "Who are you? What do you want from me?"

"I told you, Maury. It's me, Arthur," came the voice. "I need your help. I've been bedridden since Angela poisoned me. I need you as my eyes and ears to the world. I have a task for you."

Maury couldn't believe it. This really was Arthur, back from the grave. That is, if he had even been in one to begin with.

Maury hesitated. His thoughts turned to Matt lying in the hospital.

"If you don't help me, I'll kill your son, Maury."

"What? NO! Not my Matty! He's never done anything to you!"

"Let's keep it that way, shall we?" Arthur replied. "Notice anything wrong when you checked on him, just now?"

Maury gasped. No, but that would explain--

Arthur's voice took on a sinister tone. "Matt wasn't home, was he?"

"You leave my boy alone!" Maury shouted. "You leave him alone, or so help me--_gakk!_" He suddenly found himself unable to breathe, his heart seized up, the world spun.

"You were saying, Maury?"

Maury found himself on the floor, again, unable to breathe.

"Fine! I'll do your dirty work, just leave my boy alone!"

"I thought you'd see it my way," Arthur replied, releasing his control on Maury's body. "And just to prove my point--"

Maury felt his gut tighten up. "Aw, no! Arthur!" _splorch._

"I don't take that from no one, and especially not from the likes of you, Parkman."

"I said I'd do it! Just leave my boy out of this! That's all I ask!" he pleaded.

"I don't remember asking you for negotiating points. Now clean yourself up and go check on Nathan for me."

Maury pulled himself up on his hands and knees. "In person, I take it?" He winced as his body seized up with new pain.

"Of course, in person, you fool. Now get going! Or shall I make sure your son never wakes up?"

"I'm going! Just, please, please don't hurt my boy! I'm begging you!"

Arthur pulled away, his laughter echoing in Maury's head as he cleaned himself up before heading to the hospital.

When he finally arrived from Philadelphia, he narrowly avoided being spotted by Bishop. A quick trick of the mind distracted him long enough for Maury to slip by. Fooling people was one thing, but the security cameras were another. Hopefully, the camera guards would take no notice of him, but he would definitely arouse suspicions if he were to enter Nathan's room so soon and under heavy guard.

He reached out for Angela. She was talking to a doctor and--already? Janice was here, already? Good, she would keep Angela distracted while--what? _Pregnant?_ He was going to be a grandfather, finally? After all this time--

"MAURY! Get to the task at hand!"

Maury instinctively crouched in fear. "Then give me a minute!" he thought back. He cloaked his thoughts for a moment, searching out Angela once more. "Angela, I'm sorry, I just overheard Janice. Matt's in danger! Get Jan away from here and from Matt! NOW!"

"I'm handling it, Maury. Go away," she replied, blocking him off, once more.

He barely had time to breathe a sigh of relief before he was assaulted once more.

"MAURY! Get to work!"

"I'm sorry, I was just making sure Angie wasn't standing guard," he protested. Distracting him with the truth usually works, he thought to himself before proceeding to Nathan's room.

He told the nurse's at the Burn Ward Station that he was Nathan's uncle (a slight mental nudge and half-truth) and that he just wanted to look at him, to see if he was okay. When the nurse hesitated, unusually resilient, he said Angela knew he was stopping by and it was okay by her. This convinced the nurse to lead him to Nathan's room. He still couldn't enter due to the radiation, but he could still see him from the hall.

"Is this good enough for you, Arthur?" he asked.

"You can't get any closer?"

"They won't let me. He's too hot. Maybe in a few days?"

"No. I can see him well enough from where you stand. Keep your mind open."

Maury let his mind go blank, focusing on the bedridden man on the other side of the window. His thoughts slowly drifted to his own son, lying comatose in this same hospital.

"PAY ATTENTION, MAURY! I want to see my son!"

"Sorry! I'm sorry! I couldn't help but think of Matt, seeing Nathan like that. Please don't hurt him!"

"I have an idea on how to help my boy, Maury. Is Adam still locked up?"

"As far as I know, he is."

"In that case, I have another task for you, after which, I'll release your son. Are we clear?"

"As crystal! Just please don't hurt him! I'll do anything you want, just leave my boy out of this! He tried to save your son, that should count for something, right?"

"Don't be so sure of yourself. Your son tried to kill my son, Maury."

"What? That's not what Suresh saw!"

"I know exactly what this 'Suresh' saw, I already tore it from your head. Your son tried to hurt mine, and he will pay if my boy dies."

"I-I don't know what you're talking about! Matt never touched either of your boys!"

If he could, Arthur would have smiled. "As far as you know."

"Then-then what are you talking about?"

"Here's what I want you to do, Maury...."

_______________


	5. Chapter 6 RE:birth

HEROES - Visiting Ours

Characters: Matt P, Mohinder, Janice, Daphne, and Molly W.

Disclaimer: I own NUTTINK!

Chapter : RE:birth

Molly and Mohinder never mentioned it to him, but they could see it happen. Matt had been regaining all the weight he had lost the last few months with a vengeance. Molly had even taken to swiping snacks away from him as they watched television. Mohinder had tried the lowest calorie recipes he could, but Matt would always eat more. He shuddered to think what Matt consumed while on duty all day.

It wasn't just the weight, his mood swings had become almost intolerable, too. Finally, Mohinder had had enough. Something had to be done. He and Molly were discussing it again as Mohinder prepared dinner before Matt arrived home one Tuesday evening.

"If there were only some way we could hypnotize him into eating healthier," Molly noted.

"Well, unless you suddenly develop the power to push...people." He stopped, realizing what part of the problem may be.

"How can we do that, when he's already developed that power, Mohinder?" she asked. "Mohinder? Hello?" she waved her hand in front of his face.

"I'm sorry, Molly, I just had a realization. What if it's a space issue?" he asked.

She laughed. "You mean, he's taking up too much of it? I'll agree with that!"

"Not just that, but you know how cramped it is with the three of us in this apartment? Five of us, really, with my lizard and now Matthew's tortoise?" She nodded. "Next door is a perfectly empty apartment that the company rented out for Eden to spy on my father and I bet that no one is living there!"

"You're going to kick Matt out?"

"Well, yes and no, Molly. Like I said, this apartment is too cramped for us, and with Matthew dating Daphne, it is certainly more cramped when she is over. If he were to move next door, he would still be close for you, while maintaining the privacy a person requires when dating, you know, when it comes to that," he tried to explain, suddenly embarrassed.

"So, we're not really kicking him out, just expanding our living area?"

"Precisely! I'm sure he would have no problem giving you a key to the apartment, just in case, but he and Daphne (and Elvis? Yes, and Elvis.) would have their own privacy without having to worry about disturbing us or us them!"

"Sounds like a plan to me!" she agreed, and stuck out her hand to shake on it.

"Of course, we just have to get Matthew to agree to it!" He pondered it a minute more. "Maybe we can talk the Company into footing the rent, while we're at it?"

Mohinder called his landlord to confirm that, yes, the neighboring apartment was still available, and he would consider it a done deal if Mohinder had a possible new tenant.

When Matt finally arrived home that night, Mohinder quickly ushered him to the kitchen table and a plate full of reheated food.

"So, how was your day, Matthew?" he inquired, leaning forward over clasped hands. Molly came out of her room and hugged him hello.

"Hi, sweetie! Same old, same old, Mohinder, why do you ask?" he said as he devoured another mouthful of the other man's cooking, whatever it was.

A shared glance between the conspirators before he answered. Matt raised an eyebrow.

"We want you out of here, Matthew."

Matt found himself choking and sputtering on his food. Molly patted his back as he caught his breath. "OUT? What did I do? You're the one who let a chick who cries death in here and--"

Mohinder held up his hand. "Matthew, it's not what you think. It's for your own good. You can still come over any time you want but this apartment is too small for three people, an occasional fourth, and two reptiles."

"Well, where do you suggest I go?" Matt retorted.

Mohinder smiled. Matt frowned at his thought.

"It's all been arranged, Matthew--"

"You're kicking me out on my ass with barely a goodbye, and say 'it's all been arranged, Matthew'?!" he mocked.

Mohinder sighed. "Yes, Matthew, we're kicking you so far away, that you won't even get to see Molly off to school in the morning, or come home at night to tuck her in, much less miss another meal with us."

"Waaaait a minnit, here, you're pulling my leg, aren't you?"

"Nope!" Molly chirped. Matt gave her his best 'evil eye'. "You're taking up too much _room_, Matt, it's time you got your own place!"

"And you're staying here with Mohinder? Is that it?"

"Yup!"

Matt pushed his plate away. "Fine, I can see where I'm not wanted. First Janice, now you two. At least I still have Daphne!"

"She already helped us move your stuff this afternoon, Matt."

Matt looked between the two of them. Molly's chin trembled from trying to hold in her laughter. Mohinder sat back in his chair, one hand over his mouth.

Matt decided he had had enough and went to his room, only to find it bare. Not even Elvis had been left behind. "What the hell?" he shouted. "You guys are really serious?"

"Matthew, please sit down and we'll talk."

"Talk? TALK?? You're kicking me out after all this time because why? I'm late to dinner? I almost got shot again with Nathan down in Texas? Peter sent me away to Africa of all places?? My father was in league with Arthur Petrelli?"

"Because we all need our space, and we all agree, Daphne included, that you need some room to yourself, away from us."

"So it's a conspiracy, is it? You talked her into leaving me, too?"

"Exactly!"

"Molly!" Mohinder chided her. "Matthew, if you calm down, would you like to see your new place?"

Matt crossed his arms. "Not really. I like it here!"

"Well, that's too bad, as my father is the one who originally rented this apartment, and my name is on the lease, not yours. I've been a gracious host, but enough is enough, Matthew. It's time you had your own place!"

Molly grabbed Matt's arm, tugging him toward the door. "Time to leave the nest, Matt, you can't stay here forever!"

Matt was fuming. "Fine, I'll be on my way, then. If you need me, I'll either be crashing down at the station or at Nathan's!" he bellowed as he turned and stormed out the door, nearly knocking Molly down.

The pair followed him out into the hall.

"Where are you going, Matthew?" Mohinder called after him.

"I just told you--"

"Your new apartment is this way," he said, jerking a thumb over his shoulder.

"What?"

"I told you, we already made new arrangements for you."

Molly ran down to the next door and opened it up, "C'mon Matt, don't you want to see your new home?"

Matt was dumbfounded as Mohinder grabbed his arm, leading him back down the hall. Molly ran back and grabbed his free hand, pulling him into the neighboring apartment.

He entered and looked around. Outside of the silver banner taped across the wall, declaring "WELCOME HOME!!" in various colors, the room was pretty spartan. "What the--?"

Daphne came out of the bedroom. "Sorry, we're still getting things arranged, but we could still hear you 'discussing' things next door."

"We?" Matt asked, still dumbfounded.

A sweaty Nathan Petrelli stepped out from the bedroom as well. Matt's fists clenched. "Man, is your new girlfriend bossy, Parkman! First she wants it over here, then over there, then back over there! Bad enough when your dating a normal girl, but when she thinks as fast as she moves? I almost don't envy you, Matt."

"What? What's going on, here?" he demanded, glaring at Petrelli while accusing thoughts formed in his head.

"We're moving you in, silly!" Molly declared.

Daphne came up to him, threw her arms around his neck and gave him a big kiss. "Welcome home, Matt!"

"So this is it?"

Mohinder and Nathan sighed. "Of course not, this is just your stuff from next door," Mohinder explained.

"Relax, Parkman, my housewarming gift to you is some new furniture. Daphne helped pick some out, already." He clapped Matt on the back, before leaning in conspiratorially. "You know us bullet-catchers gotta watch out for each other, right?" he winked.

Matt laughed at this, finally relaxing as Molly drug him around the place at a speed which Daphne would have been hard-pressed to keep up with.

"It's amazing how 'useful' Daphne found me when trying to hang the new curtains," Nathan quipped along the way.

After they had finally gotten Molly calmed down and off to bed next door, Matt pulled Nathan aside. "You know, Mohinder told me Eden had been spying on him from this apartment, before?"

"Relax, Matt, we already swept through the place, so unless you want to get your jollies spying on Mohinder--?" Nathan raised a mock eyebrow at the thought.

"Dude! I told you, we're not like that! Why does everybody keep saying that!?" Matt yelled.

"Because we like teasing you about it?" Nathan said, clapping Matt on the back, again. "You and Daphne can go over the place again if you want, but we're pretty sure it's clean." He looked around, grimaced. "Relatively speaking, of course."

"We can't all live in expensive, immaculate mansions, Petrelli," Matt chided him.

"No, you just wanted to crash at mine, didn't you?"

"Well, you've got the room, why not?"

"I'm not a hotel, Parkman."

"A-HEM!" Daphne said from the bedroom door. "I'm sure we've all had a long day, why don't you get home to Hotel Petrelli, Flyboy, and let me take care of things here?"

Nathan and Matt looked at each other. They both had been married long enough to know when not to argue with the lady of the house.

"At least Hiro calls me 'Flying MAN.' I'll see you later, Parkman."

"Whoosh! Good night Nathan, and thanks!" he chuckled.

Matt closed the door and locked it behind his friend. "Now, you were saying?" he asked her as she slowly strolled to him, took his hand and led him to the bathroom.

"First a hot shower, to warm up those muscles," she teased as she began removing his clothes.

"And then?" Matt asked, all smiles.

"I'll put them to some good use!" she smiled back.

"Did I tell you it's my birthday, this weekend?" he grinned. "You might want to save a trick or two until then."

--

"Did I miss anything, yet?"

"No, the show's just starting."

"You know he might be able to 'hear' us, right?"

"Oh please, Nathan. We're the last thing Matthew wants to think about."

"No shit, check out those tits and that ass! And Daphne's not too bad, herself!"

"Shh! You'll wake Molly!"

--

Matt woke the next morning very tired but very happy. He looked over at Daphne and smiled.

BANG! BANG! BANG! "Matt, get up! You're going to miss breakfast!"

"_Give it a rest, Molly, you'll wake the whole building!_" he thought at her as he reached for his underwear, and came up with Daphne's lace bra. He smiled. "_Aren't there any cartoons you should be watching?_"

"Molly! Don't bang on the wall!" Mohinder chided her.

_Sorry about that Matthew!_ He thought toward his new neighbor.

Matt grumbled and fished for his own underwear. His stomach grumbled even more. Ugh, what did Mohinder feed him before kicking him out?

While Matt was happy to have his own place again (okay, the fact that he had another adult who gave him _sex!_ was a definite bonus!), his stomach rumbled all day. He directed Nathan's deliveries as Daphne saw fit. He didn't agree with her choice of locations for everything, but hey, she was giving him _sex!_ Yay, _sex!_

He also couldn't shake the feeling that he was forgetting something, today. Okay, it was Wednesday and according to his rotating schedule, it was 'Saturday' and he didn't have to go to work today. But still, he knew he was forgetting something he couldn't put his finger on. His upset stomach wasn't helping matters, either.

When he had finally accepted the last furniture delivery and Mohinder had helped him move everything exactly where Daphne and Molly decided it should go for what seemed the tenth time, everybody called it a night and Daphne rushed him into the shower again.

He didn't mind showering before sex (_yay, sex!_), but was this going to be her habit? He shrugged it off as something she had gotten used to doing as a speedster, working up a sweat with her power. Still, his stomach cramped again.

It almost put him off for the night, but he was a trooper and tried not to let her down. He suddenly felt an old, but familiar tickle in the back of his mind. What the hell? Whatever (or whoever?) it was, he tried to push it away again, and fought it off while trying to please Daphne.

No sooner had he finished than the tickle became grating, he clutched his head as his gut cramped again.

"Matt, if you're not feeling well, we can stop for the night?" Daphne asked him.

"Unh, I'll be fine in a moment," he lied. His gut cramped again.

"Do you need to go to the hospital or something?"

"No, I'll be fine," he lied again. Something was going on, but what? His head was splitting.

Matt?

"I'll be fine," he said again, dozing off.

Matt, where are you?

"Jan?"

Matt, the baby's coming, where are you?

Matt sat up. "Janice?" He looked around. What the hell? He was in a hospital, wearing scrubs.

MATT!

"Janice? Where are you?" He looked around, saw a doctor and several nurses run into a room. He followed.

Janice was in there, her feet up in stirrups. What the hell?

Matt went to her, grabbed her hand. "I'm here, Jan, I'm right here!"

AHHHHHHHGGGKKKK! It hurts! Matt, where are you?

"I'm right here, Janice! I'm here for you!"

"Where's your husband, Mrs. Parkman?" the doctor asked.

"Uhn, New York! uhn, MATT!"

"Janice, I'm right here, I'm with you! Right here!"

"Where? Matt, I can hear you, where are you?"

"Ma'am? Who are you talking to?" one of the nurses asked.

"My husband! He's here, let's go! Uhn!"

The nurses exchanged glances with the doctor. "What is she on? Is she having problems with the pain medication?"

"NO! I'M! NOT! Let's do this! Matt, stay with me, or so help MEEEEEE--!!"

"It doesn't matter, the head's crowning! Here we go, ladies!"

Matt hugged his ex-wife as tight as he could in his dream. He had the feeling someone else was there, as well, but he didn't care, right now, Janice was having her baby!

"One final push!

"MAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAATTTTT!!!"

"I'm here, Jan! I'm right here!"

"It's a boy!"

"It's a boy! You hear that, Jan? it's a boy!"

"Mazel Tov, Matty!"

Janice gasped in exhaustion. "Where? Can I see him?"

"Just a minute, ma'am, they're cleaning him up for you."

"Congratulations, Jan! I'm so proud of you!" Matt told her. "You did it! It's a boy!"

"I know! We did it! Matt, we made a baby!" she cried.

"Ma'am, are you okay?" the nurse asked again. "Who are you talking to?"

"No! I just had a baby! of course I'm not okay!" she snarled back. "I'm talking to my husband!"

"The one in New York?" she asked.

"Trust me, you wouldn't understand, but I'm glad he made it!" She reached up as if she could feel Matt hovering by her shoulder, and tried to put her arm around his neck.

The nurse was hesitant, "o-kay, if you say so, ma'am."

The other nurse came up to her. "Are you ready, mom?"

"More than ready," she answered holding out her arms. "Ohh, look at him! Hello, my little man! Can you see him, Matt? Isn't he gorgeous?"

"Yes, he's just adorable, Jan! I can't believe it, we made a baby! We made a baby!" he shouted.

She looked down at her new life. "We did, didn't we? I love you, Matt. I'm sorry about--"

"No. Remember, don't be sorry. What happened, happened. I love you, Jan. I'll love you forever for this." He hugged her again, wanting so much to be there for here, to kiss her and comfort her this night of all nights.

"Congratulations, Matty, you're a father. I love you, boy."

"What?"

"Matt? What's wrong, is something happening to you back there?"

"Jan, did you hear that? It sounded like, no, it can't be, he's dead."

"Matt? Who's dead? Who are you talking to?"

That wasn't Janice. That was...Mohinder? NO! "Jan! Jan, I'm here for you, just keep thinking about me, and we'll stay together!"

"Who's he talking to Mohinder?" Daphne asked. "What's going on?"

"I don't know, dreaming something about his ex-wife, I would guess?"

"WIFE?? He's married?!?" she stormed out, angry.

"EX-wife, Daphne, ex-wife!" Mohinder corrected, calling after her.

"Jan? Jan, don't let go! Jan, I want to see him again! Jan? Janice!?"

"Matthew, wake up, you're dreaming! Matthew!"

"Mohinder?" Matt asked groggily. "What? Where? Where's Janice? Where's the baby? Where's the baby??"

"There's no baby, Matthew. At least, not here, there isn't," he informed his still naked friend.

"But--but, the baby?!" Matt insisted.

"Matthew, are you saying Janice had the baby? Is that what you dreamed?"

"No, it wasn't a dream, I was there, I saw her give birth! I saw him!"

Mohinder leaned back. "Are you serious? Matthew, you have a new girlfriend crying in the other room, do you seriously think she wants to hear you dreamed of your ex-wife giving birth moments after you had sex with your girlfriend?"

"What? What time is it?"

Mohinder hesitated, but checked his watch. "Just after nine, almost quarter after, why?"

"So I can call her and confirm what I saw, That's why!" Matt shouted, grabbing the covers and trying to get up before he realized he was still naked. He waved Mohinder out towards the door.

Mohinder quickly got up and left the room, giving Matt a moment of privacy to get dressed.

"Where's my phone?" he called out. "Mohinder? Daphne? Where's my damn phone?!"

He entered the kitchen to find Mohinder sitting alone.

"Where's my phone, Mohinder?" he asked, still pulling his t-shirt down.

"If I were you, I'd be more concerned about where my girlfriend is, Matthew."

"After I call Janice, I promise," he said, fumbling through his coat jacket and pulling out the phone.

Suresh grabbed the phone hand. "Matthew, please. Daphne was very upset when she came to get me, and you've made her more upset by ranting about your ex-wife having a baby. Stop and think for a moment, man."

"I just need to call and see if that was a dream or real, Mohinder," Matt argued. "You don't understand, this is the first time she was able to carry full--"

"NO, Matthew," Mohinder interrupted. "You have a sobbing girlfriend in my apartment, right now, who is very upset with you, Right Now. Go to HER and talk to HER. RIGHT NOW."

Matt didn't move. "Mohinder, have you ever been married?"

"No, but I don't see--"

"Have you ever gotten a girl pregnant?"

He blushed. "No, but--"

"No buts, this is the first time Janice was able to carry a baby full term," Matt informed him. "I should have been there, regardless if it was mine or not. Can you understand that?"

Mohinder hung his head. "I'm sorry, Matthew, I didn't know."

"This was the third time since we were married, Mohinder. The first time, I proposed. We had given up trying, but neither one of us wanted to take the chance of-of stopping trying, of getting snipped. Can you understand that?"

Mohinder chewed his thumbnail. "No, Matthew, I guess not. I'm sorry, my friend."

"No, don't be sorry, what happened, happened, that's what we said, each time. Don't be sorry." Matt felt his eyes water. "I couldn't be there in person tonight, but luckily, heh, luckily for my powers, I could still be with her when she finally had the baby she's wanted all these years.

"Mohinder, I hope you can experience that joy someday, but until then, don't tell me I can't even call her to share."

"A bit of advice, Matthew?" Matt glared at him. "Tell Daphne it was a dream, at least for now. She's very upset."

"Fine, whatever," Matt said as he scrolled through his phone list. "Come on, Molly, what did you file her under?" he grumbled. 'wkd stp-m' Wicked step-mother? Sigh. He would have a conversation with Molly about this, later. He hit the dial button.

He half-expected the voice on the other end. "Hello, who is this?"

"Karen, it's Matt. Is Janice okay?"

"She's fine without you, Matt, not that you care," she replied.

Don't fight, not tonight, Matt. "Karen, may I please talk to her for a minute?"

"She's turned in for the night, Matt, she'll have to call you back."

"Karen, please, may I speak with her? Two seconds?"

"Who's that on the phone, mom?" he heard in the background.

_It's me, Jan! I'm on the phone!_ he projected, fingers crossed that she would still hear him. "Karen, please! I'm begging you! two seconds!"

"Mom! Give me my phone! Matt?! Ma--" _Matt I'm fine! We did it! He's beautiful!_

Matt was sure this last bit he hadn't heard through the phone. "Jan? Janice!?"

Matt held the phone away from him, staring at it as if it were some hideous growth that had just appeared on his hand.

"Dammit, Karen! Two seconds was all I asked for."

"I'm sorry, Matthew." Mohinder put a hand out on the table.

"Mothers-in-law." Matt grumbled. Hanging his head in his free hand. He fought the urge to throw the phone. Again.

"So what are you going to do, now?"

"Keep trying to call, send her flowers. Karen can't stop those, can she?"

"Aren't there stalking laws in California? Especially Los Angeles, Matthew?"

"You're right, I need an assumed name, one which she'll know is from me. Anything else, I'll ask Tom to deliver them. He owes me that much, at least."

"Tom?"

"Guy I used to work with on the Force, out there," Matt grumbled. "Too bad my cousin Seth can't fly me out for a couple days, he still owes me a trip. Not really looking forward to a full cross-country on Nathan's back. Here to West Texas was bad enough."

"Can't you contact him? Is he on an international route?"

"Who, Seth? He was in an ocean crash a few years back, never recovered the plane, much less any bodies."

"Oh. I'm sorry, Matthew, I didn't know."

Matt waved his hand, "Don't be, it happened before any of this-this craziness started, back when everything was normal, or at least, normal for LA."

"Ah. In the meantime, then, I suggest you go next door and talk to your young lady friend, Matthew."

"Are you speaking as my doctor or as my friend, Professor?"

Mohinder smiled. "Both, Matthew."

Matt sighed. "Even the President has to follow doctor's orders, right?"

"Yes, I believe so."

Matt smiled. "You hear that, Nathan? Just follow the good doctor's orders, right?"

"W-what are you t-talking ab-about, M-Matthew?"

"Please. I know when I'm being eavesdropped on, Prof. Dad's been doing it most of my life, the perv."

Matt wasn't entirely sure Mohinder could blush before, but he was sure his friend was red, now.

Matt stood up and stared at his phone. He turned the ringer off and tucked it back in his jacket pocket. "Yep, time to go kiss some ass, so I can get another shot at it, if I'm very, very lucky."

--

"Have you decided on a name, Mrs. Parkman?" the nurse asked.

Karen leaned forward, ready to argue her daughter's choice.

"It's Ms. Parkman. I'm divorced."

"But I thought you said in delivery, your husband--?"

With a side glance to her mother, Janice cut her off. "--is not the father. Sorry."

"So what name are you going with, Janice?" Karen asked.

Janice huffed and glared at her mother. "Albrecht, okay? Is that fine with you?"

Karen beamed. "Of course, dear, whatever you want, it's your baby, after all."

Janice glared at her mother as she wrote the name down on the nurse's clipboard and handed it back to her.

The nurse looked down to see what she wrote. "Oh, 'Hiram', that's a name we don't see to often, even for a middle name. Where did you get that from?"

"From his father."

"But you marked 'unknown', here?"

"Trust me, we agreed upon it, earlier."

The nurse hesitated, ready to argue the point.

"So you named him, Matthew, Junior?"

"No. I told you, Matt's not the father, mom. Drop it."

"Then who is, Janice? It hasn't been nine months since you kicked his sorry ass to the curb, if he's not the father--"

"Mom, just shut up. We--I know what I'm doing."

"But isn't Matt's middle name, Hiram? I seem to recall that's what he said at the wedding?"

"Guilty conscience, okay, mom? Happy now?"

"Then why name the baby after someone who's not the father?"

"_BECAUSE, MOM!_"

The nurse quietly excused herself to let the two women argue. She knew the name battle had been won by the right person, and didn't care to witness another mother-daughter fight, today. God bless the Maternity Ward Nurse, they always said at the nurse's station.

Meanwhile the argument continued.

"Do you know how many times you were almost a grandmother before this? Do you know how many times Matt held me as I cried over losing another child? _DO YOU?_

"I named my son after the man who was there for me every time I lost a child, and I'll be _damned_ if I let you sully him to this child. If you don't like that, there's the door!" Janice fumed at her mother as she pointed the way out.

Karen was shocked to learn this. She knew about the 'college incident', as she referred to it, but never that it had happened again and again over the years. She had blamed Matt for causing her daughter grief and trapping her in a loveless marriage. She couldn't have been more wrong.

--

The next day, a bouquet of roses arrived, signed "All My Love, E. Clapton." The nurses joked that Janice had Eric Clapton's love child. Janice only smiled and hugged her nursing son tight.

He really did care.

She hoped their plan would work, for their son's sake. Only time would tell.

To be continued...

______________


	6. Chapter 2012 Reflection

HEROES - Visiting Ours

Characters: Matt P, Mohinder, Daphne, Tom McHenry

Disclaimer: I own NUTTINK! AU-Future, post "Eris Quod Sum"

A check on an old friend brings news for Matt.

Chapter 2012: Reflection

War is hell.

The superpowers that tore the world asunder were no longer geo-political, but quite literal. Only the more remote areas of the globe remained relatively unscathed from the events that followed what became known as the "Petrelli Incident."

Matt Parkman no longer blamed Mohinder Suresh for what had happened. Arthur Petrelli's formula was the real culprit. Mohinder had only helped refine it in hopes of curing himself of his own adrenaline-based formula that he had tested on himself to near-disastrous results. Arthur's formula was the new drug of choice in the still-new Third Millennium. The refined formula was the drug of choice to those who could afford it, while others were willing to take a fatal risk to taste the exhilaration of power, no matter how dangerous.

A single dose of "The Petrelli Formula", or simply "P" as it had come to be known, could cost someone their entire life's savings, and the less-refined black market versions often required multiple doses before any abilities that manifested would stabilize.

This was the horror that Angela Petrelli had tried to prevent, but her warnings had fallen on deaf ears at the time. It was only after Arthur's formula had become widespread and chaos reigned before her efforts had been understood. The only cost had been her life.

The only upside to this pandemic was that most of those abilities that manifested were benign. There were flyers, speedsters, strength, telekinetic, and low-level telepaths, who soon found themselves in new careers such as couriers, corporate spies, and handlers of dangerous materials, depending on the strength of their new abilities. The most immediate and accepted change was keeping these new "athletes" from cheating with regular folk who had earned their achievements the old fashioned way. Luckily, the "P" was a fairly easy thing to test for, especially if there was a previous base to compare against, like blood samples or even immediate family members who showed no previous indication towards abilities. Not many complained when the Olympics were delayed as thousands of athletes were tested prior to competing, not to mention paid athletes who could be out thousands, if not millions, when outpaced by these "cheaters".

The headaches caused to hospitals and insurance companies were another matter, between those injured testing their new abilities and those healers who stepped forward, basically robbing trained medical personnel of their livelihood.

The "naturals", those born with an inherent ability, were usually the best equipped to fight those that had acquired abilities by other means, which usually meant those people were the more dangerous to begin with. Unfortunately for the "naturals", a handful of "acquired" people soon developed the ability to "jump start" those with a latent, undeveloped ability, including some of the more volatile abilities. One of these people was, unfortunately, a cousin of Ted Sprague, and developed similar nuclear capabilities. The area around Barstow, California was still hot over a decade later. Peter Petrelli had helped the initial relief efforts by absorbing as much radiation as he could, but even he had his limits.

The original band of "naturals", mostly made up of the remaining Twelve Founders' children and their relatives, had formed a loose association designed to train those with acquired abilities. With the urging of Nathan Petrelli's Congressional ties, the government that had been in effect tried to promote these places, like PrimaTech and Pinehearst, to train and keep these individuals under control, but there were soon too many to keep track of, much less train or restrain if they had a more volatile ability, or were unable to use their abilities for the benefit of mankind.

The Petrelli brothers (along with Claire Bennet) found themselves in control of Pinehearst, in Hartsdale, NY and a new Chicago office on the Eastern and Northern half of America, while Noah Bennet, Matt Parkman, Mohinder Suresh, and Daphne Millbrook found themselves running PrimaTech in Odessa, TX and Los Angeles, patrolling everything west of the Mississippi. (Matt had insisted on returning to L.A., saying it was his and Molly's home, letting Noah, Micah, and Monica Dawson run the US Southern Division.) Hiro and Kimiko Nakamura ran the Asian branch out of Yamagato Industries in Tokyo. Similar branches in England (reluctantly run by Claude Raines, with Ianto Owens and Rhys-Geraint Cooper), the European mainland offices (Hartmut Schwengels, Vittoria Marius, Iason Galifianakis, and Esteban Ramirez), the Russian states (Vladimir Arkady and Faina Grigorivich), the African Continent (N'tare, Khamisi, and Xolani), the Mid-East (Amid Halebi and Sooraya Habib), Indian subcontinent (Mira Shenoy and Sanjog Iyer), Australia (Whetu Graham and Russell Hogan), and even in China (Dong Chen, Min Zhong Ping, and Xun Yi Yong) slowly began appearing as well. Fortunately, The Company already had established branches in most of these areas, it was just the management that needed changing.

The years had been long and hard fought and Matt Parkman found very little to enjoy about it. Luckily for him, Daphne had finally given in to Matt's insistence they would wind up together and married the self-described schlub, who now happened to be one of the most powerful men in the world.

His hope of living peacefully ever after with Daphne, Molly and Daniella were almost dashed when Daphne finally gave birth in June, 2012, 6 days after Matt's birthday, not to Daniella, but to Daniel Noah and Joshua Nathan. Matt decided that was a fair trade off, and they could try for their daughter again, later. Having just given birth, Daphne was not amused by his plan.

The boys' namesakes and three godfathers were happy for the couple as well, but co-godfather Mohinder Suresh was upset until Matt promised to name his next child either Daniella Shanti or Mohinder Maurice. All involved balked at the latter and hoped for a daughter next. Molly still insisted on "M" names for them, even nicknaming them "Mish" and "Mash". Daphne didn't get the joke, but Matt and Mohinder found it hilarious.

The birth of the twins had Matt overjoyed, but also sad. He wouldn't speak to Daphne about it when she asked why he was brooding, and Molly was reluctant to say anything since Matt wasn't being forthcoming. Mohinder finally suggested to Daphne it might be because of Janice and the baby he almost had with her. This was news to Daphne, as he had rarely mentioned his ex-wife to her outside of a few vague references about his "life before the craziness started," as he called it, and that dream he had had when he moved into the apartment next to Mohinder's in New York right after they began dating. This reminder that he might already have a child with another woman, ex-wife or not, was not what this new mother wanted to hear, either.

"Well, from what I understand, the child wasn't even his," Mohinder explained to her. "She had been having an affair with Matt's friend on the LAPD, I believe, Tom something."

"So, what are you saying," she asked. "Finally becoming a father has him missing a kid that isn't even his? That's crazy!"

"Need I remind you, this is Matthew we're talking about?"

"Well, yeah, but I mean--"

"Not to mention Molly wasn't even his when he took--when WE took her in?" Mohinder corrected himself.

"But you guys managed to ADOPT Molly," Daphne protested, before joking, "I'm just her wicked step-mother." She continued, "We're talking about his ex-wife getting knocked up by some other guy and--"

"And Matthew was led to believe that child was his until she left him while he was lying in the hospital after the Kirby Plaza incident. I doubt Matt has yet to forgive her for either of those revelations. Trust me, I lived with the man for many months after, and he was not a happy camper. If not for Molly, I do believe he-- uh-oh."

"I would have what, Mohinder?" Matt asked, coming into his kitchen. "And thanks for sharing details of my PRIVATE life with my wife before I decided to share them." Matt gave his old friend a cautious look, daring him to continue.

"I'm sorry Matthew, Daphne wanted to know--"

Daphne cut him off. "Matt, you've been great with the boys, but you're also moping around like somebody shot your puppy. Or turtle, as the case may be. I just wanted to know why."

"You leave Elvis out of this. Besides, you couldn't ask me?" he replied, reaching in the refrigerator for a bottled water.

"Well, now that I know what's going on, it's not like I was going to look her up or have Molly--"

Matt spun around, pointing a finger in her face. "Don't even finish that thought," Matt ordered. "In fact, I'll make sure you don't. Molly! Could you come down here for a minute, please?" he called out, verbally and mentally, just in case.

Molly came bounding down the stairs and into the kitchen. Mohinder still couldn't believe this young woman was the little girl whose life he and Matthew had saved so many years ago.

"What? I'm doing my homework!"

"You're not in trouble, honey," Matt explained. "And I hope it stays that way." He shot a glance at Daphne, who huffed and rolled her eyes. "Just a quick favor, okay?" Molly nodded and Matt mentally asked her not to locate Janice or her son unless specifically requested by himself, and gave her a special password to confirm the request.

Molly rolled her eyes. "Is that why you're all Jekyll and Hyde, lately? I thought we had another Sylar-level Big Bad on the horizon."

Mohinder tried to stifle a laugh, but noted with no small pride that she pronounced the name "Jekyll" properly, like "jackal". She had actually taken his tutoring to heart, it seemed.

"Don't get smart, young lady," Matt scolded her. "You know Gabriel doesn't like that name. Now go finish your homework."

"Yeah, like that's not an oxymoronic order," she teased as she headed back to her room.

"I am not a moron, I'm your father!" Matt teased back.

Molly sent him an image in reply. He was Darth Vader and she was dressed as Luke Skywalker from the end of Empire Strikes Back. "Noooo!" Both laughed at the image, only his glance upwards gave any indication to the other two what was going on.

"Matt, was that really necessary? I told you, I'm not going--"

"No, you're not, Daphne. Leave Janice alone, end of discussion. That goes for all of you!" he said as he left the kitchen.

Daphne and Mohinder shared a look.

"I mean it!" he called from the living room as he turned on the television.

Daphne stayed true to her promise, but it still annoyed Matt that she was thinking about it all the time after that.

"Why won't you tell me?" she asked one night in bed after they had finally gotten the boys to sleep.

Matt didn't have to read her mind to know what she was talking about. "That was my before life, this is my now life. Never the twain shall meet."

"Was she really that cruel to you?"

Matt was silent for a minute. "No. No, she wasn't, but she broke my trust. After all we had been through, it really hurt."

"I'm sorry, Matt."

"Don't be, it was before I met you, and...well, it was before we met and has no bearing on us, now."

"But if she hadn't cheated, would you still be with her, now?"

"Daphne?" Matt asked. "Drop it. No more what if's, we have what we have, and I'm happy with you and our family, Molly and our boys, here and now."

Daphne harrumphed and turned away from her husband. Matt, however, found his mind now going a million miles an hour, as it had since he found them in the kitchen, days earlier. Did all second marriages have these doubts? Was that why they failed, too?

He finally decided a quick look to see that Janice was alright wouldn't hurt. He concentrated on her memory for a minute, slowly scanning the LA area for her thoughts.

Nothing. Okay, so she doesn't live in LA, anymore. No big deal, he'll do a casual computer scan tomorrow at work.

Matt couldn't find her using the computers at work, either. The ones the Company used now were light years ahead of what could be found elsewhere. Micah Sanders had seen to that, between his reprogramming and encryptions, there was nowhere the Company couldn't look. Matt didn't like the "Big Brother" approach, but Micah and Bennet assured him that it wasn't intentionally invasive.

Still, Matt was determined that morning, and sent out a general search for anyone named Janice, using the last names Albrecht, Parkman, or even (please god, not) McHenry.

He was thrilled when "Janice McHenry" turned up no decent hits. "Janice Albrecht" turned up a few more, but nothing Matt could follow, outside of the information he already knew.

"Janice Parkman" turned up a number of hits, and Matt had to slowly sift through all of them to find his. It seemed she never remarried and kept his name since her career had taken off while still married to him. All trace of her seemed to disappear in 2010. Matt couldn't figure out why. He wracked his brain, but couldn't think of anything. Had she remarried? Changed her name, completely? No, there would be records pertaining to that. Where did she go? What happened to her?

He hung his head in his hands over his desk calendar and tried to think of how she could disappear like that, like someone had erased her off...the face...of...the Earth. OR more precisely, California. "No. She couldn't--she can't have been--no."

He hit the intercom button. "Sally!" he called to his personal assistant. "I need the list of victims from Barstow, immediately!"

"Yes sir, Mr. Parkman," came her sharp reply.

Ten minutes later, Matt was poring over the list of the known victims. He knew full well, If Janice had been merely visiting or even passing through the area, there would be no way to confirm it with this list. "Sally! Is there another list of people missing after Barstow?"

"If there is, sir, they would be in that file. Confirmed dead, presumed dead, and 'whereabouts unknown' from non-locals that were known to be in the area when it happened. Can you tell me who you're looking for? Maybe I can help?"

Matt glanced at her. Sally Schroeder was always willing to help him read through thick files (especially as he was one of the few who pronounced her name right: shray-der), as her ability was a really minor one: eidetic speed reading. He smiled at her, before replying, "I'm sorry, this is a real personal matter. I need to do this, myself."

"If it's any help, there are still a number of missing persons cases that aren't included in those files. Those are the only confirmed missing, the others would still be on file with local law enforcement, as possible victims of Barstow."

Matt grimaced. Could she have gone through there without telling anyone? "In that case, would you get me the current number of the LAPD, Detectives Division, then?"

"Would you like me to call and patch it through?"

"No. This is a matter I have to handle myself, Sally. Thanks, anyway."

She nodded and went to look up the number. She silently wondered what this was all about, perhaps a friend who he tried to get in touch with, but couldn't? She had been there long enough to mind her own business, and this was a personal matter that he didn't want her help with. She wondered if she should mention it to Dr. Suresh? No, this was Matt's business, not hers. If he wanted Mohinder's help, he would ask for it. Or would he? She got the number and returned to Matt's office to hand it to him.

"Thanks, Sally," he said absentmindedly, still poring over the lists. As she turned to leave, he looked up. "And thanks for not telling anyone, yet." She turned at the door, nodded back to him. He smiled and picked up the phone.

"Yes, this is Director Parkman over at PrimaTech, could I speak to the detective in charge of Missing Persons, please?"

"Matt? Long time, no see, Officer!" came the reply. "It's Judy, Judy Brown! Is this personal or business?"

Matt remembered the switchboard receptionist from his days there, years back. "Judy? Glad to hear some things never change, doll! This is a business call, by the way."

"Sounds like you've done well for yourself. You were quite the talk of the station for a while. Still are, as a matter of fact!"

"I hope it's all good?"

"Mostly, some were worried how long you were hiding your secret and how much you knew about them, but I'm sure you would have said something if you heard some really juicy gossip!" she teased.

"Sorry, Judy, outside of finding Molly and that incident with Tom McHenry, I don't have any gossip to share," he confessed.

"Don't tell me you still keep in touch with that girl, do you?"

"Actually, I wound up adopting her," he laughed.

"That's wonderful! Oh, hang on, speaking of Tom, here he is now. Keep in touch, Mr. Super-Director!"

Oy, Matt grimaced. Was that how people thought of him, now? "I'll try to stop in soon, okay? Thanks, Judy," he said as she sent him through. Tom's in charge of Missing Persons, now? Great.

The phone clicked over. "Missing Persons, this is Detective McHenry."

Matt sighed. "Tom? It's Matt. I need a favor."

The voice of his old partner went cold. "Parkman? What do you want?"

Matt hesitated, he knew what he was asking and dreaded asking it of this man, in particular. "I'm trying to find someone. I was hoping you could help."

"It's Janice, isn't it?"

"Yeah," he sighed. "I just wanted to catch up with her, but I can't find her anywhere. The last I can trace her is our old place in 2010. I was hoping that...um, she wasn't...there. Can you help?"

"I thought you were psychic? Can't you just do your voodoo and find out?"

"Tom, please," Matt wanted this over with. Yes or no, dammit! "My power doesn't work like that. I was hoping you would know where she was or give me a lead. I didn't even know you were in charge of Missing Persons, now."

"Matt, I'm sorry."

Ohgodohgodohgod! "Sorry? Sorry for what?" ohgodohgodohgod! Nonononononono!

"Jan was coming back from Vegas with friends that weekend," he said, voice cracking. "We know they checked out that morning, but she never made it home. I'm sorry, Matt."

"no."

"I'm sorry I ever came between you two and broke you up. Can you forgive me?"

Matt felt hot tears roll down his cheeks. "I-I--the baby? What happened to the baby?"

"I don't know, Matt," he cried. "She didn't let me help, either. I don't know what happened to him."

"Him? It was a boy?" It wasn't a dream, he was really there, that night? Of course you were, Parkman, you're believing the cover story you had to tell Daphne, you idiot!

"You-you didn't know? Oh god, Matt, you never knew?"

"The last I talked to her in person, was in New York City, after I had been shot. She served me there. There were a few phone calls after that, and such, but I never--it was before--a boy?"

"Can you come down here?"

"I-I guess? I can be over there in an hour. Yeah."

"Make it my place, this calls for beer. I'm sorry, buddy."

"No, that's okay. Nobody knew what was going to happen."

Matt hung up. Held his face in his hands. Why hadn't he been told? Why hadn't he checked up on her immediately after Barstow? Why hadn't he cared enough to check up on her after the baby?

Because she had pushed him away. He made her. That's why.

He went in his private washroom to splash water on his face and pull himself together. He called Daphne. Voicemail, great. Maybe she's sneaking a nap while the boys are down? "Hey Daph, I might be late, tonight. I've got a case I'm investigating on the other side of town. Nothing dangerous. I'll be home as soon as I can. I love you."

It wasn't the truth, but close enough. He would deal with her temper, later. He straightened his desk for the day, gathered some things and headed out the office. "I'm gone for the day, Sally. I'll see you tomorrow."

"Alright. Did you find who you were looking for?"

Matt glanced down at her. "Yes and no," he sighed.

Sally took this to mean, yes, he found them, but it wasn't good news. "I'm sorry, Matt."

He nodded and headed out the door. "I'll see you tomorrow."

Matt had to force the various scenarios of what could have happened to his ex-wife out of his mind as he drove to Tom's. Tom was just getting out of his car as Matt pulled in.

They sized each other up in the driveway.

"Hey, Matt," Tom finally said, breaking the silence. "Getting a little grey there, ain't ya?"

"Running the world will do that to a person. Nice porn-stache," Matt chided him, not wanting to poke fun at the man's growing gut at the risk of his own.

"Please, it's a cop-stache, there's a difference!" The men laughed, now that the ice was broken. "C'mon inside, have a beer."

"uh, I really shouldn't, Daphne would have my head."

"Re-married?" Tom asked, unlocking the front door and stepping inside.

"Yeah, long story on how we met," Matt laughed.

"Surprise me."

"I went to the future (I think?), and saw we were married, came back, she had been hired to kill me, I convinced her otherwise. Then came the hard part, trying to marry her."

"No, really?"

"Yep, told her we had a daughter in the future, named after her grandmother. That's the only way she came around."

"So you two have a kid?" he asked, grabbing two beers from the fridge.

"Two. Twins. Boys." Matt shrugged, smiling.

"No shit? Congrats, man," he said, clinking the bottles together. "What about the future daughter?"

"Not yet. Well, we have Molly, but she's not really either of ours."

"Then what is she?"

"Remember that little girl I found, right before I knocked you on your ass?"

"What, the one you found by yourself in a house full of cops and Feds?"

"That's the one. Mohinder and I adopted her in New York, then I met Daphne, the rest is history."

"Mohinder? You playing both sides, buddy?" Tom joked. "You know, I seem to recall Captain Baldwin saying something about that when you put in that transfer to New York. You living with a guy after Janice left you."

"Why does everyone keep saying that?" Matt groaned. "No, he saved Molly from a fatal virus in New York, and it just seemed natural to have both of us raise her after I was shot by Sylar."

"So you and Mohinder never--?"

"NEVER! We were roommates and have a working relationship, that's all!" Matt shouted. "Okay, so we made him a co-godfather to the boys, but that's it!"

"co-godfather?"

"Well, yeah. We gave the boys middle names after Bennet and Petrelli, then asked all three to be godfathers."

"Three fairy Godfathers? Made them an offer they couldn't refuse?" Tom joked, toasting and taking a drink from his bottle. "Got any pictures of these spawn of yours?"

Matt sighed. "Even better, stand up and close your eyes a second." Tom hesitated, then did as he was told. "Okay, you can open them, now."

"Holy sh--how did you do that?" Tom asked, as he found himself standing in a blue nursery with a twin-sized crib.

"It's easier the first time if you don't see it coming," Matt said as he leaned over his sleeping boys. "Aren't they the cutest?" he gushed.

Tom hesitantly stepped over and peered down. "Yeah, I guess, considering the father." He elbowed Matt in the ribs. "What's mom look like?"

Matt gave him a suspicious look and glanced over. Tom saw a cute blonde walk in, check the boys, ruffle their sparse hair, pull the blankets tight, and walk out.

"Wow, nice one, Parkman. Perky tits, too," he commented. "Hey!" He suddenly found himself back in his own living room.

"And she'd snap your neck before you finished that thought, Tom. Ease off, she's all mine."

"Sorry, man, but she's even more out of your league than Janice was. What's your secret?"

"I know what they think," he teased, and just for laughs, grabbed himself, "and what they really want."

"Yeah, right, Matt, I've seen you naked in the showers. Janice wasn't to impressed, either, or she never would have come to me."

Matt turned to look out the window. "Don't start."

"Sorry, man, my bad. I'm sorry," Tom apologized. He took another swig of beer. "so, um, anyway, yeah, Janice didn't want my help with the kid. Even cost me my marriage if that's any consolation to you."

Matt shrugged. Serves you right, he thought, smirking.

"I, uh, I don't have any, uh, any pictures, but I did see the baby a couple times before she totally shut me out. Did you want to, uh--? I don't know how you do this, but if you want?" He wagged a finger at his head.

Matt got the idea. "Just think about what you saw that day, nothing else, okay?" Tom nodded and closed his eyes in concentration.

It took him a minute, but Matt finally found the memory he was looking for. He brought it out to get a better look. Apparently, it was soon after she had given birth, as she was a little heavier than Matt remembered and she looked so tired. Still, she looked beautiful to Matt's eyes, even through the years and Tom's viewpoint.

"One quick look, Tom," she said. "Then you're out the door."

Tom nodded and Matt followed him over to the crib. He saw the small boy laying there, sleeping. He had dark hair like his mother--both his parents. Matt wished he was awake so he could get to know him in this brief moment. He could feel Tom wanted that, as well.

Tom reached down and stroked the cheek with a finger. Matt so desperately wanted to do the same. He tried, but the sensation wasn't there. It wasn't the same as when he felt his own sons, there was some magic connection that he was missing.

"He's beautiful."

Matt wasn't sure who said that, Tom or himself, but he nodded his assent. Tom turned back to Janice and put his arm on her shoulder, kissed her cheek. Matt felt a small tingle of jealousy, mostly that he couldn't do the same.

He could still feel her anger towards Tom, though. "Just-just get out. I don't want you here. I told you, one look and out."

Tom and Matt both nodded assent, and with one longing look back at the newborn, they left.

Tom gasped in astonishment. "Wow! Just-just wow! Is it like that every time?"

Matt felt the tears run down his cheeks. He was still trying to retain Tom's memory for himself. "Sometimes, if the memory is powerful enough, real enough."

"I'm sorry, this must be so hard for you, Matt."

"Yeah," he said, wiping away the tears. "Still, what I can do is useful, enough. Heck, even my dad couldn't make you feel physical things when he made illusions like I can."

"I thought your dad was dead?"

"He is, now," Matt explained. "I ran into him again after I moved in with Mohinder and Molly. He wound up sacrificing his life to save me when Daphne was ordered to kill me."

"Ouch. I'm sorry, Matt."

"Don't be, it was Arthur Petrelli who killed him as an example." Matt's somber face turned into a half-smile. "Payback's a bitch, though. Literally." He smiled.

"I don't think I want to hear this, Matt."

"Wasn't me, unfortunately, but it was self-defense. Patricide, regicide, I'm not sure what you would call it."

"None of my business?"

"Yeah, except we still have to deal with his legacy on a daily basis."

"You mean all the Supers?"

"Is that what they call us? 'Supers'?"

"No one's wearing capes, so yeah. It's a whole new ballgame out there, Matt, but I guess you know that more than anybody, don't you?"

"Unfortunately, yeah," Matt replied somberly. "Listen, thanks for showing me that, I just--"

"No, it's okay, man," Tom replied. "We've both fucked up our lives, but if that helped you in any way...?"

"Yeah, I guess it did. I hope," Matt shrugged. "If anything, it will get Daphne off my back about moping around the house, at least."

"Or you'll just mope more now that you know they're gone."

"Or that," Matt confessed. "Listen, Tom, I'm sorry I took that swing at you."

"I deserved it, I'm still a total pussy hound," he confessed. "If it wasn't Janice, it would have been another affair that broke up my marriage. I just feel bad it was you two I broke up, too. Sorry, man."

"Good," Matt chided him, laughing and punching him in the shoulder.

"Hey, you don't think that could be my super-power, could it? Being a total horndog?" Tom joked.

"Nice try, but Nathan has got you beat there," Matt laughed, "especially for the blondes!"

Matt hugged his former partner goodbye and promised to keep in touch, at least professionally, before returning home.

He found Daphne folding baby clothes in their bedroom.

"Honey, I'm home," he said, sitting down beside the pile of laundry. He idly picked up one of the boys' shirts and held it up. It looked so tiny in his large hands.

"Hey, Matt. Good day at work?"

"I guess." He watched her fold clothes for a minute. "I love you, you know."

She put down the shirt she was folding. "What happened?"

He hesitated before confessing. "It's your fault. If you hadn't been so insistent, I never would have looked."

Daphne sighed. "You found your ex-wife?"

Matt nodded.

Daphne tried to make her voice as non-committal as she could. "And did you talk to her? What did she have to say?"

"No. It turns out she died in Barstow."

"Oh! I'm sorry, Matt." She leaned over to grab his hand.

"Don't be. Jan and I had our time together, we went our separate ways. And now you and I have our time together. Sure, I'll miss her, but I have you and Molly and the boys to think of." He hugged her to him.

"Well, it's got to be hard to find out your ex-wife and her child died in that disaster." She kissed his forehead. "I guess it brings what we do a little closer to home, huh?"

"Yeah, I mean, we stopped New York from blowing up, but this puts a whole new spin on something like that. Before, I always thought Barstow was tragic in the same way 9-11 was, but to find out someone I know, someone I used to be married to, died in it? Just-just let me know if I start being a hard-ass all the time instead of occasionally, okay?"

"I thought you already were, Matt," she teased before she hugged and kissed him again.

He sighed and looked down at the shirt again, remembering the vision Tom shared. He hugged the shirt to his chest. This was one secret he didn't feel like sharing. He couldn't admit the truth to Tom since Janice apparently didn't, and why change the fact Tom thought his son died with his mother? Maybe it will make him think twice about ruining another family before he does it again.

Matt grabbed two more shirts and hugged them all as tight as he could.

--

After Matt had left, Tom sat in his empty house mourning the thought of Janice and their child. He finished his beer and grabbed the phone. "Hey, it's Tom. Guess who finally decided to look for his wife today? Yeah, he just left a little bit ago. No, I didn't tell him, I promised her that much. Just don't...don't keep him waiting too long. That would be too cruel. You owe him that much, sir. Yeah, I agree. And to you, too, sir."

Tom hung up and went into his bedroom. He sat down and picked up the photo on his nightstand. "I'm sorry, Matt. I couldn't do it. I hope you find each other, soon."

Nine days later, Tom was killed while off-duty, when he tried to break up a drunken fight between an electrokinetic and a gangbanging flyer. When his wife went to collect his things and pick out a suit for his funeral, she didn't know who the young boy in the bedside photo was, and neither did anyone else he had worked with. Matt attended the service, but she never thought to ask him about it, as he was upset that they had just smoothed things over. By then, she had chalked it up to some kid he had helped out and made him proud by turning his life around or something. The thought that this could have been his son by another woman crossed her mind, but the only one she knew of (or that he had confessed to) was Janice, but everyone assumed her son died with her in Barstow. She threw the picture in the trash with the rest of Tom's things.

If she had bothered to save just the frame, and just throw out the picture, she would have noticed the note written on the back, "Mazel Tov! Matthew, age 5."

--

Matt didn't have long to mourn his lost family, as the Company soon began hearing rumors of a powered cult spreading around the world. Noah, Mohinder, Gabriel, and Micah all knew of the Mayan Prophecy for the coming December, so the Company had to act immediately if they were going to stop this Doomsday Cult.

Next: 2020

________________


	7. Chapter 2020 Hindsight

HEROES - Visiting Ours

Characters: Matt P, Maury P, Daphne, and Molly W. and the rest

Disclaimer: I own NUTTINK! AU post "Eris Quod Sum"

Chapter 2020: Hindsight

52.

Fifty-Two.

Five times Ten plus Two.

Five decades and another fifth on this mudball.

No matter how Matt tried to wrap his mind around it, he didn't like it. When did he start getting old? Hell, even Noah had retired, relatively unscathed. Lucky bastard.

They were all lucky bastards for having survived this long. They had managed to restrain some of the chaos that had reigned after Arthur Petrelli's Formula had been unleashed upon the world. Even the global group that had had assembled into a Doomsday Cult to end the world in December, 2012 had tested the mettle of almost everyone else with powers. The cult had managed to convince a number of power stealers and 'jump starters' and provoked a number of 'power riots'. The silver lining to this event was that it was a wake up call to those who already had or were about to acquire powers, to take responsibility for their roles in the world.

They eventually learned that it had started with a young 'pusher' and 'network telepath' who brought in more telepaths under their sway and recruited the more volatile powers from there. Gabriel had sacrificed himself during this intervention, and Matt and Peter had nearly been taxed to their limits At Daphne's urging, Matt semi-retired himself from fieldwork after that.

The main concern now, with what they jokingly called 'The Old Guard", was finding suitable replacements to carry on as they had, without the corruption that their forebears had fallen prey to.

Molly, Micah, Monica, Claire, and surprisingly, her brothers, Lyle, Simon, and Monty, had stepped up as young agents under their elders. Lyle, most especially.

Molly now worked directly under her father, Matt, in the LA office, and was now bugging him about what he wanted for his birthday. He said what he always said, "Surprise me."

This always frustrated Molly and Daphne. How do you surprise a telepath? Even the big surprise they tried two years earlier for his fiftieth birthday almost fell flat, as he let slip the day before about it. Daphne refused to play along, and told Peter that the gig was up before they could spring it on him.

Still, Matt couldn't deny that he really appreciated spending an afternoon in the past to let his mother know how well he had done and show off the kids' pictures. He even shared the birth of her first grandchild by Janice in a vision, briefly explaining they had separated by that time and they later died driving back from Vegas. He had finally gotten to tell her how much he missed her one last time. He also found out she knew about his father's powers almost their entire marriage, which explained an enormous amount of things Matt didn't realize at the time, but made sense upon later reflection. He suddenly wished he could spend one last afternoon with him to smooth things over, after he explained that Daphne had witnessed his death at the hands of his former ally, Arthur Petrelli, merely because Arthur wanted to make his point. She took the news better than he thought she would.

They had a close call when Rabbi Blumenfeld stopped by, catching Matt and Peter off-guard, and Ruth tried to pass them off as Matt's uncle's. The Rabbi was too smart for that, but played along. Matt swore him to secrecy, and he promised not to say a word, should he live that long. He and Peter even goaded Matt into picking up his sticks one last time for his mother, and (with Peter making a quick trip for Nathan and a guitar, and 'soundproofing' the room) the boys gave them a quick version of the last song Matt had played on his kit, the day of her funeral. Then he began a mournful rendition of "What a Good Boy." This left Ruth in tears, which set off Matt as well.

Ruth thanked him for letting her know how it all turned out, but they had to tell her they couldn't let her remember the visit except as a dream. She understood and gave them permission and forgiveness for what they had to do. Peter was almost reluctant, but she finally urged him to do it for the sake of the time continuum. Both men were surprised she was aware of such things as causality rifts, but she laughed them off, saying Matt didn't know half of what she was about.

"Boy, I can't wait to see what the girls come up with to top this next year," Peter told Matt after they had returned. "I don't suppose you want to take a quick trip up a year?"

"I don't think that would be such a good idea, Pete," Matt chided him. "Half the fun is listening to them wrack their brains trying to outsmart me," he laughed, hugging and thanking his friend profusely for the trip, before saying goodbye for the day.

The following year, they almost fooled him again by doing a last minute bait and switch with the latest versions of the "Police Academy", "RENO911!", and "Hot Fuzz" Collections (What? No "Lethal Weapon"?). The prank was getting Claire to arrest him while dressed as a stripper, first. Of course, Daphne had contacted some of his old comrades on the LAPD and they mock arrested him for being with an "underage" stripper. Nathan and Noah were initially against it, but they still went along with it for the yuks. Once the LAPD guys had him in lock-up, the extended family presented him with his birthday cake.

He couldn't wait to see what they came up with this year.

Neither Molly nor Sally would give him any hints at the office that morning, only that it would be a real surprise. Matt got really intrigued when he came out to take Molly to lunch, only to discover that she had just left and Sally said she probably would be out the rest of the day.

"She's going to set up my birthday surprise, isn't she?" he asked Sally.

"If you say so, Director Parkman," came her non-committal reply. "She said she had an investigation to conduct, and didn't leave her itinerary with me."

"Itinerary, eh?" Matt asked, rubbing his hands together at the thought of a challenge. "We'll see about that!"

He went back to his desk and tried to access Molly's terminal from his. No sooner than he thought he did, than the screen froze, went blue, and a confetti spewing "Nice try, Birthday Boy! (this has been an M&M production)" popped up. Matt couldn't be sure which M's were involved in this, just Molly? No, she would have to have help from Micah, Monty, and possibly Mohinder on this one. Then again, the twins, "Mish" and "Mash", had been awful hush-hush, themselves, recently. Had Molly put them up to this? He would ground them all for a month if they did!

"And that's my cue to take you out for a birthday lunch, is it?" Daphne asked, looking at the screen over his shoulder.

Matt jumped, startled by his wife's sudden entrance.

"Ha-ha, gotcha, old man!" she poked him.

"I knew you were there, I just didn't expect you to shout in my ear, is all!" he protested as he escorted her out of his office. "We'll be back sometime today, I think, Sally," he said as they stepped out. "Right? We will be back, or do you have something planned else for me?"

"They still have the Senior discounts at Lenny's, right?"

"Denny's," Matt corrected his wife before he caught himself. "D'oh! Why I oughtta--!" he shook his fist at her.

"What is it with you and all that classic TV stuff, Matt?" she asked as they rode the elevator downstairs.

"It's old, like me, and comforting to understand, to somebody my age," he joked, slowly imitating an old man with a bad back and cane.

"Tell me again why I married you?"

"Whassat, missy? I can't hear ya!"

She slapped him on the arm and kissed him.

"mm! This is just an appetizer, right?" he asked. "Are you whisking me away to a cheap, sleazy motel and have your way with me for hours on end?"

"Sure, can I bring the boys?"

"What, Nathan wants to watch again? That dirty old perv, makes respectable politicians look downright sleazy by comparison!"

"Do I want to know what you're talking about, now?"

"Probably not, no."

"Yeah, I didn't think so," she said as they entered the lobby.

"DADDY!" came the twin chorus and attack of the almost-eight year old twin terrors tackling the Director of PrimaTech before he realized what was happening, or so he claimed. He was drowned by their chants of "Happy Birthday!" and "What are you getting us next week?" and "What's for lunch?" among other verbal and mental assaults that he usually didn't get to tolerate until the evening hours. The added fact of next Tuesday's double birthday wasn't lost on him, either.

"I don't know, guys, why don't you ask Mom?" he laughed.

Daphne gave him the deadliest stare she could muster as they turned on her.

"They've certainly got their mother's stamina, that's for sure, Parkman."

Matt turned around and found Nathan and Peter standing there, waiting for him.

"Wouldn't you like to know, Petrelli?" Matt teased back before greeting them both and accepting their birthday wishes. "Claire's not here, this year, is she?"

"Just what, exactly, are you intentions towards my daughter, you dirty old letch?"

"Just making sure I don't get arrested again, this year, Nathan," Matt joked. "It wouldn't do for me to get caught with the same blonde floozy two birthdays in a row, now would it?"

"I heard that!" Daphne shouted as Peter tried to help her manage the twins.

"So, are you guys here to take us to lunch?" he asked, eyeing Peter.

"Who us?" Peter asked innocently. "Nah, we're just passing through, thought we'd do a little corporate sabotage on the Western Office if you don't mind."

"Was that you guys who rigged my computer?" he asked, raising an eyebrow.

"Nice try, Birthday Boy," Peter quipped back, causing Matt to give him an even dirtier look. "Wasn't us, we know nothing about it."

"I should arrest the whole lot of you for hacking a governmental database!" The twins froze and looked at each other. Matt caught this, kneeled, and grabbed them both. "And I'd do it, too, see, if it weren't my birthday, see? The one day of the year I can't arrest my own flesh and blood!" he laughed.

Nathan rolled his eyes at this lame gangster impersonation.

"So are we going to stand around here all day or go to lunch?" Daphne demanded. "I'm starving!"

This got the boys to start chanting, "We're starving too! Let's eat!"

Matt motioned to his wife. "You're in charge, today, aren't you? Where are we headed?"

She smiled and rubbed noses with her husband. "Close your eyes, it's a surprise!"

He did as he was told, felt this familiar jerk of Peter's teleport, and suddenly heard the boys cry out, "YAY! McDonald's!"

Matt turned to the teleporter and raised an eyebrow. "Just kidding!" before moving them to a fairly upscale restaurant downtown. The boys booed.

"Hey, take it easy on Uncle Pete, he gets confused easily these days!" Matt told them. "Besides, he might forget to take you to Disney next week! Remember, Uncle Peter?" Nathan and Daphne couldn't help but laugh at Matt's own ruse on his friend as the boys hugged him in thanks.

The group was led into a private dining room where they were met by Noah, Sandra, and Mohinder. They spent the next two hours eating, joking, and laughing their heads off before the twins started getting antsy and Daphne suggested Peter help her get them home so they could play. Matt kissed his wife and sons goodbye before they left. Noah and Sandra soon followed, with Nathan and Peter bidding their farewells after, leaving Matt and Mohinder by themselves.

"So," Matt began, eyeing his Indian friend warily. "Where's our Molly at? Or am I not supposed to know?" he winked.

"Am I supposed to be her Keeper, now?" he replied innocently.

Matt didn't buy it. "I thought you were her Appa, Mohinder? Don't you know where your own daughter is?" he chided.

"Matthew, my friend, this lifestyle has made you see conspiracies everywhere," he mocked.

"Speaking of lifestyle, you know the Petrelli's are still on about you and I knocking boots back in the day, right?"

"_REALLY?_" he replied, dumbfounded. "They've never said anything to me."

"That's it. The next time I see them both, Pow!" Matt made a finger gun, pretending to shoot someone. "Right in the back of the head, the both of them!" he laughed.

"So how does it feel to be 52, Matthew?"

Matt sighed. "Same old, same old. Don't worry, only a few years until you hit the Big 5-0, too."

"Ugh! Don't remind me!"

Matt laughed. "Maybe if you had found someone to settle down with, you wouldn't be dreading it so much?"

Suresh sighed. "You mean, if I had stopped playing with my test tubes and microscopes and had a life?" Matt nodded. "I will admit I get lonely, but it always seemed easier to stay busy with my work and not be distracted by...others."

"But it's a good distraction, Professor!" Matt insisted. "I wouldn't give up Molly, Daphne, or the boys for anything! Kids put life into a different perspective you won't find in the lab. Didn't your perspective change after we took in Molly?"

Mohinder considered this a moment. "Somewhat, I guess?"

Matt sighed. "Besides, do you know what your accent does to most of the women I've heard talk to and/or about you? I'm surprised you don't keep a mop by the door to the lab!"

"Matthew!" he laughingly scolded the man before returning to the topic at hand. "Can I ask you, would you die for them?"

He nodded. "For my kids, for my wife, for my friends," came his reply. "If the cause was right and I could save their lives by sacrificing mine, I would do it without question."

"Well, that's good to know if I'm ever held hostage again."

"Oh, my bad," Matt teased. "I wasn't including former roommates and co-fathers in that list. Go fight your own battles!" He laughed and Mohinder threw a napkin at him.

"See? This is why no one likes you, Matthew!" he teased.

They returned to the office 'the old fashioned way' in Mohinder's car and continued the entire way. "So tell me, Matthew, what would you do if Janice walked in your office, offering to take you back?"

Matt gave a sad sigh. "Not gonna happen."

"How would you know? What if--"

"Not going to happen, Mohinder. Drop it," he warned. Suresh gave him a curious look. Matt sighed. "Barstow."

Mohinder gasped. "I apologize, Matthew, I didn't know."

He waved his friend off. "No. Don't worry about it, not many people do. I didn't even find out until a couple years after. They were still listed as Missing Persons, even then." Matt stared out the window and Mohinder didn't press the issue further.

Sally had a small package waiting for him on her desk when they returned to his office. "What's this?" he casually asked, grinning.

"Ms. Walker dropped it off for you while you were gone, Director," she informed him, before nodding to Mohinder. "Good afternoon, Doctor Suresh." He nodded in reply.

"Why so formal, Sally?" he inquired, unwrapping the package. "The only time you're like this is when you're hiding something from me."

"I'm sure I don't know what you're talking about, Director," she replied as she speed-scanned through a large folder. She only paused to take a quick glance at Mohinder.

Matt opened the box and laughed. Mohinder tried to look over his shoulder as he pulled the thick book out.

"52!" Matt exclaimed, causing his friend to jump back. "The Official Showcase Edition, with all four writers' commentary, complete cover gallery, and annotations out the wazoo!"

Mohinder scratched his head. "It's a comic book?"

"It's not just a comic book, Mohinder! It's the lost year after Infinite Crisis, when Superman, Batman, and Wonder Woman were out of action and a number of then D-list characters had the spotlight and cult favorites became fan favorites! The first weekly series DC Comics had attempted since the original 'triangle days' of the Superman books. This was one of the few bright spots of the DiDio reign."

"You are a true geek, my friend," Mohinder said, patting him on the back and opening his office door. "A dyslexic comic book fanatic geek!"

Matt was flipping through the book and didn't see the man in his office at first.

"Mazel Tov, Matty!"

Matt stopped short and looked at the white-haired man in a wheelchair by his desk. "Rabbi? Rabbi Blumenfeld?" Matt went to hug the old man, tossing the book on his desk. "Oh my god, I haven't seen you in--well, actually two years, but really it's been almost two decades!"

"Happy Birthday, Matthew," Mohinder said. "I'll leave you two to catch up. I'll see you later, my friend. Rabbi," he nodded.

Matt waved his friend off as he stood up and went to the couch, noting a present waiting for him. The Rabbi wheeled his chair alongside. Matt tried not to notice it, but the rabbi wasn't fooled. "Don't worry so much, Matty. I just twisted my ankle stepping off a curb the other day. I was playing racquetball at the club last week! Go ahead, open it, I know you want to," he motioned to the present.

"You really shouldn't have, Rabbi," Matt mock protested.

"Please, it's not even from me, Matty."

"Then who--?"

"Open it, you'll see!" he smiled.

Matt eyed him suspiciously and tore open the package. He stared at way lay inside. He glanced to the book he had set on his desk and back down into the box. "Are these? They can't be--?"

"Your mother gave them to me to give to some kids, but I knew you would want them back, someday."

Matt stared at his old Super Powers action figures. "No, she didn't," he said quietly. "These were still in my room after her funeral. Janice said she threw them out. We had a fight about it. I never even unpacked my drum kit, just threw it down in the basement when we bought the house. I never saw these again, until now." He picked up the green and yellow insect man, Mantis. 'He looks cool,' he remembered her saying that long ago night.

"I'm sorry, Matty, that's what she said, that she gave them to me so I could give them to kids who would actually play with them."

Matt's eyes teared up. He looked the rabbi in the eye. "She who?" he choked out.

"Matty..."

"Janice. It was Janice, wasn't it?"

The elder man threw his hands up. "Oy, the secrets I keep for you people!"

"Secrets? Just how many secrets are we talking about, here, Rabbi?"

He sighed. "You might as well come in, then, my dear!" he called out.

The door opened and two young people entered.

"Molly? What's going on, who is that?"

Matt looked from his daughter to the young man behind her. Matt guessed he was thirteen, maybe fourteen at most. Then he saw him, really saw him. His jaw dropped.

Matt Parkman was looking at himself as a teenager. He had her eyes. He had Janice's eyes.

"No."

"Dad? Are you okay?" she asked.

"No! no-no-no-no-no!" Matt's hands shook as he reached out for the young man. "It-it can't be! W-w-what's your name?"

The confused young man looked to Molly and the rabbi before answering. "Matthew, sir. Matthew Albrecht."

Matt felt the tears stream down his face. "Oh my god, how? Matthew? Is it really you?" He held out his arms to the young man, who looked again to the rabbi. He nodded his assent and young Matthew stepped toward the Director.

Matt stared into the boy's eyes. "The password! W-what's the password? What did she tell you to say if we ever met?"

Matthew was confused. "Password? I don't know what you're talking about, sir?"

Blumenfeld spoke up. "Oy! I never told him! I apologize, Matty! Both of you! What was it again? Princess Leia? No, that's not it, what was it? It was a song, wasn't it?"

"Layla?" the young man offered his foster father.

"No, no, that's not it, it was, uh, let me think--"

"_Yes!_ Yes! That was it," Matt gasped. "That was when I won her over! Oh my god, Matthew, I thought you were dead!" Matt grabbed the young man and hugged him tight. Matthew tried to squirm from the man's grip and turned his head to look to Blumenfeld for help.

The old man laughed. "Oy, enough with that secret! I'm glad to have that one off my chest after all this time!"

Molly came around behind him and hugged the old man's shoulders. "They make quite the pair, don't they, my dear?"

"Yeah, but what's mom gonna say when you bring home another stray, dad?"

"I don't care!" Matt sobbed. "I'm never letting you out of my sight, ever again!"

"Would someone PLEASE explain to me what's going on, here?" Matthew protested.

"W-what?" Matt asked holding the boy back and turning to his rabbi. "Y-you never told him? No, why would you? You never told me he was still alive!"

"Dude, will you please let me go? I'm gonna call the cops if you don't!"

Matt chuckled. "Matthew, don't you know who I am? I'm probably the country's top cop, there aren't very many people with more power or authority in this country, heck, this whole _planet_ than me!"

"What? Who are you? What is this all about?"

"Matthew, your name is not Albrecht, it's Parkman. Matthew Hiram Parkman." The young boy stared at him, shocked and confused. "Junior."

"I don't get it? My name's Matt Albrecht, not Parkman, and I don't know you or what you're talking about. My mother--"

"--was Janice Dawne Albrecht Parkman. She was my wife, Matthew. Your mother was my wife. Do you understand? You-You are my son." Matt gave a choked sobbing laugh. "You're my son!" He hugged the boy tight again.

"I-I--what? You're my f-father?" He turned to the rabbi. "What's he saying? Is he really--?"

"Your father, Matty. You're his son! Mazel Tov! Happy Birthday, you two!"

"What? My birthday was--"

"--Saturday! Four days ago!" Matt finished his son's sentence. "Mine is today. Happy Birthday to us, huh, kid?" he smiled. Then he remembered the opened box beside him and handed it to his son. "Happy Birthday, Matthew, these, uh, these used to be mine back when I was your age. I, uh, I hope you like them? Your mom thought they were cool."

Matthew looked down into the box of dusty action figures. "What good are these, anymore, when people have super powers for real?"

"Yeah," Matt smiled. "Want to see something really neat?"

Matthew raised an eyebrow. Then he realized he was no longer in an office, but a hospital room. He looked around and saw a woman on the table, legs raised. "M-mom? Is that--? MOM!" He moved to run to her.

"Just watch." Matt whispered and hugged him tight. Almost to his surprise, he saw a faint shadow version of himself at Janice's side as she gave birth. She tried to clutch at his ghostly neck and the baby was brought over and they fawned over the new arrival. "I was there in spirit, if not in person. She knew it and wanted me to be there, Matthew. We welcomed you into the world together. The last time we shared a moment was your birth, fourteen years and four days ago." His voice cracked. "I loved her so much. That's why we agreed we had to hide you away, to protect you. I'm sorry, I hope you can understand."

"This-this isn't real. It can't be," he cried. "That's mom, but she died--!"

"In Barstow. I know," Matt confessed, dropping the illusion. "I'm sorry I didn't find out until later. I was told you were with her. I thought I lost the both of you. I'm glad I was wrong."

Matthew was crying, trying to take all this in. Matt felt fresh tears burn down his own cheeks. "I am so glad I was wrong, Matthew. I still have you! We still have each other! I promise, I'll try to make it up to you, if you want?"

Matthew wiped his eyes and looked from his father to his mentor and back.

"Then I guess you owe me fourteen years of presents?"

Matt laughed and hugged his son tight. "I sure do!" Matthew found himself hugging the man back. It felt...right. He knew this man was his father, and it felt right.

"Yep, definitely got his father's sense of humor," Molly remarked. Blumenfeld laughed in agreement.

"Just wait until you meet your step-mother! and brothers! and the rest of our crazy extended family!" Matt giddily informed his son. "You're gonna love them, and they're gonna love you, but not half as much as I do, Matthew!" He kissed his son and hugged him again. He then reached over and pulled Molly into the hug, kissed her, and nodded to Blumenfeld. "We're going to be one, big, happy, crazy, extended family! I love you, guys! I love you so much!"

"Dad? I can't breathe!" Molly protested.

Matt didn't care and hugged her tighter.

"Is he like this all the time?" Matthew asked Molly.

"Worse." she replied, receiving a kiss from her father.

--

Matt returned home that night, bellowing, "Honey! We're home!"

Daphne stuck her head out from the kitchen, "Yeah, I hear. Have a good afternoon at work?" she asked as he kissed her in greeting.

"The best!" he laughed, hugging her tight.

"That's nice," she said as she returned to her cooking. "The boys are outside, tearing up the yard, as usual."

"Uh, Daph? I've, uh, got some news for you," he told her.

"Oh? Is Molly not going to make it for dinner?"

"Nope, she'll be here."

"Mohinder's taking the boys for the rest of the week?"

"Yeah, I wish."

"Rabbi Blumenfeld's not going to make it for dinner?"

"Nope, he'll be--hey! Wait a minute, how did you know he came to see me, today?"

"Molly and I tracked him down, you big goof." She blew him a kiss from across the counter. "We thought it would be nice for you to catch up with someone from the old days."

"So you know about the other dinner guest, then?"

"Oh? is he bringing a date?" she asked innocently.

"Uh, you could say that, and, uh, they'll be staying with us for a while, too."

"What? Matt, what did you do?" she tried to sound disappointed in his making a decision without consulting her, first.

"I found my son, today," he beamed.

"Yeah, they were there at lunch, remember?"

"No, Daphne. My son with Janice. Matthew," he explained, grabbing her hands. "Rabbi's been raising him since Jan died. I want him to move in, to live with us, so I can be there for him."

"I don't know, Matt," she protested. "I thought you said her son was some other guy's?"

"Tom. About that, yeah, he never was," Matt blushed. "We lied to everyone about that."

"Matt!"

"It was decided before we even met! I had been abducted by the Company, tested, held prisoner, almost killed by them, twice! When Noah told me his fears about what they would do to Claire, what they did do to Elle Bishop. I didn't--I couldn't let my child fall prey to them like that. Janice understood. Angela understood. She's the one who came up with the plan, forced Janice to go along, I didn't realize what she had done until later, but we knew it was for the best. To protect him, both of them, from everything I went through and our life that we barely managed to live through, several times over. Can you understand that?"

"Oh, Matt," Daphne answered in a pitying voice.

"I'm sorry, Daphne, I thought I lost them both in Barstow. Rabbi had been keeping in touch with Jan and offered to baby-sit him that weekend while she was in Vegas. When he heard what had happened, when Janice never returned, he knew he had to keep the secret going, for Jan, for me, for my mother, who loved him and he loved in return."

Daphne hugged her husband, who was on the verge of tears again. "Oh, Matt."

"I'm sorry. I loved Janice, we finally had a child I thought was lost to me. The only child she was able to have after so many losses. This child--our son--he is the last I have to remember her, and I can't live another day without him by my side. Can you understand that?"

"Oh, Matt--"

"Please, Daphne! He's my son, my firstborn. I still love you and Molly and Daniel and Joshua, all of you, but Matthew is the son I lost for fourteen years," he pleaded before taking a sterner tone. "I can't turn him away and you can't make me!"

"Matt? Shut up before I throw you out, myself."

"What?"

"I told you, Molly and I found Rabbi Blumenfeld, so naturally, we found Matthew as well," she explained. "There was no choice. He's your son, and naturally, we discussed taking him in with the rabbi. We kept our plans secret from the two of you boys, so as not to spoil the surprise."

"We? We who?"

"Just me, Molly, Blumenfeld, Sally," she counted on her fingers. "oh, and Noah," she said, offhandedly. "We only let Sally in to keep you busy, just in case. I think she clued Mohinder in. Molly asked him to keep you late this afternoon, at least."

"And Noah?"

"Please, this is Noah we're talking about. He's the one who actually found the rabbi. Sandra was glad for him to have something to do. He's been driving her crazy since he retired," she explained before pointing at him with a mixing spoon. "And if you think you're going to do the same to me when you retire, you got another think coming, buster!"

"Have I told you lately that I am madly in love with you?"

"Not in the last five minutes," she smiled, drawing him in for a kiss. "Keep that in mind for later, birthday boy!"

"I won't be able to think of anything else," he teased as he glanced out the porch door to the backyard to see Molly introducing Matthew to his brothers. Rabbi Blumenfeld watched from the corner of the house. He turned Daphne so she could also watch. "I think you've topped yourself, this year. No way can any birthday be better than this!"

"So I guess I can't tell you I'm pregnant?"

"Yeah, right, Daph." He kissed her head. "But we can try all you want, later."

"Going for twins, again, huh?"

Matt blanched as she pulled herself free and went back to her cooking. "W-what? Seriously?"

Daphne smiled at him and winked.

"WOO-HOO!!!!" he shouted, picking her up and swinging her around, kissing her over and over.

Molly looked into the kitchen from the back porch door to see them dancing around. She smiled. All three boys came running up to see what the ruckus was.

She shared a glance with Blumenfeld. "Dropped the other shoe, did she?" Molly nodded, and told her brothers to help her bring the rabbi back around front so he could come in and they could have dinner.

She didn't mind giving up her old room to her new brother, but where were they going to put the new kid?

--

Later that night, after all three boys had been settled in and Molly had taken Rabbi Blumenfeld home, Matt and Daphne were left to celebrate the day in their own way.

"There is no way on Earth that you can top all this, next year," he told her again, as they lay catching their breaths.

"Oh, I can think of a few things that might do it," she teased.

"Any hints?" he smiled. She sent him a few choice mental images. "Ooh! That's a pretty good warm-up, but what about the main event?"

"For that, my dear, you will have to wait and be surprised!" She kissed him and laid her head down on his chest to sleep.

Matt still couldn't get the day's events out of his head. He never thought his family could top his visit to his mother a few years back, but even that couldn't compare to today. A son he thought lost forever returned to him and the news that he would be a father again? He was convinced they couldn't beat this day, no matter how hard they tried.

The only thing he wanted from now on was his family, and he had that. Nope, the closest he could get to topping today is when he finally became a grandfather. He thought that would be the only thing to beat today, and he could wait.

He laid there and listened to Daphne slumbering. She turned over and away from him in her sleep. He decided he needed to take a leak and slipped from their bed.

As long as he was up, he decided to check on the boys. The twins were once again mirroring each other in their positions as they slept across from each other. This always brought a smile to his face as he kissed their heads and pulled up their covers. He then headed to Molly's old room, soon to be redecorated into Matthew's for now. (Where were they going to fit them all, once the baby arrived next year? He wondered.)

He found Matthew in a tangle of sheets. He smiled as he remembered Janice often complained about what a lousy bed partner he was the first few months of their cohabitation in college. By the time they had actually gotten married, she had him trained fairly well. Matt again straightened out the covers and kissed his son, his firstborn. The thought again had him grinning ear to ear. "_I love you, Matthew_," he thought. The boy sighed in his sleep, the corner of his mouth slightly curled. Matt kissed his head again and left the room with a last, long look.

Just that little bit had him energized and he walked the empty house. He came across Elvis in his pen. "high five, turtle," he said. "What a day, huh?"

"Yep, what a day for you, huh, Matty?"

Matt spun around to see his aged father sitting at the table.

"Maury?" he hissed. "Dad?? I thought you were dead!"

"Who said I'm not, boy?" he winked.

tbc___________


	8. Chapter 2020 Confession

HEROES - Visiting Ours

Characters: Matt P, Maury P, Matthew P, and the gang

Disclaimer: I own NUTTINK! AU post "Eris Quod Sum"

Note: some spoilage (deleted 3.8 scene according to Grunny) and read "Molly's new company" first for another reference!

Chapter 2020: Confessions

Matt still couldn't get the day's events out of his head. He never thought his family could top his visit to his mother a few years back, but even that couldn't compare to today. A son he thought lost forever returned to him and the news that he would be a father again? He was convinced they couldn't beat this, no matter how hard they tried.

The only thing he wanted from now on was his family, and he had that. Nope, the closest he could get to topping today is when he finally became a grandfather. He thought that would be the only thing to beat today, and he could wait.

He laid there and listened to Daphne slumbering. She turned over and away from him in her sleep. He decide he needed to take a leak and slipped from their bed.

As long as he was up, he decided to check on the boys. Daniel and Joshua were once again mirroring each other in their positions as they slept across from each other. This always brought a smile to his face as he kissed their heads and pulled up their covers. He then headed to Molly's old room, soon to be redecorated into Matthew's for now. (Where were they going to fit them all, once the baby arrived next year? He wondered.)

He found Matthew in a tangle of sheets. He smiled as he remembered Janice often complained about what a lousy bed partner he was the first few months of their cohabitation in college. By the time they had actually gotten married, she had him trained fairly well. Matt again straightened out the covers and kissed his son, his firstborn. The thought again had him grinning ear to ear. I love you, Matthew, he thought. The boy sighed in his sleep, the corner of his mouth slightly curled. Matt kissed his head again and left the room with a last, long look.

Just that little bit had him energized and he walked the empty house. He came across Elvis in his pen. "high five, turtle," he said. "What a day, huh?"

"Yep, what a day for you, huh, Matty?"

Matt spun around to see his aged father sitting at the table, having helped himself to a slice of birthday cake.

"Maury?" he hissed. "Dad? What the hell? I thought you were dead!"

"Who said I'm not, boy?" he winked.

"Is that really you? Am I dreaming? What's going on, here?"

"Sit, sit, we'll talk, Matty," the elder Parkman motioned to the chair opposite him. "Do you want to learn what happened or not?" he asked when Matt hesitated.

Matt eyed him suspiciously and slowly sat down. "How do I know it's really you?"

"What do you want me to say? Something about Ruth, Janice, Matthew, Arthur, Daphne? Tell me if I'm getting warm? What about Layla?"

Matt sat stone cold until this last name. He flinched and Maury smiled.

"If confession is good for the soul, Matty, you better brew some coffee, we'll be here for a while. Where do you want me to start?"

"How about the beginning, Dad?" Matt sighed. He was glad he had taken off the next few days, just in case. Whatever needed to be taken care of, Molly could handle or he could from here.

"Sounds good to me. I guess I should start by telling you Ruth isn't your real mother?"

"Excuse me?" Matt glared at him, fists clenching.

"It's not a nice story, Matt, and I apologize that your real mother is long dead, but you have met and worked with her."

Matt raised an eyebrow, trying to think who it could have been. Who would his father have known besides Ruth that Matt would have worked. with. too? His eyes went wide. "Angela? Angela Petrelli?"

"Got it in one, Matty." he nodded.

"You're telling me that Angela was my mother and Nathan and Peter and even Gabriel are my brothers?"

"Think about it, Matt. She knew how to fend off your mental assault, accused you of becoming me for taking information from her mind, and you've always gotten along with the boys. Nathan, especially? Why do you think that is?"

Matt's face went slack. "Oh my god, you raped her, didn't you?"

He nodded. "I'm sorry, Matt. It was shortly after she and Kaito had broken things off. Adam had been going on about 'be fruitful and multiply!' I thought if Kaito was good enough for her to have an affair with, and Charles Deveaux was a close friend, I certainly stood a chance. She blew me off, and--I'm sorry to say this, but I impersonated Arthur one night and got my ass kicked several times over because of it. I think they actually did kill me at one point, then Danny Linderman brought me back."

"Good," Matt fumed and worked his fingers open and closed over and over.

"But it was the best mistake I ever made, Matt. I got you out of it." He reached across the table and place his hand over Matt's fist.

Matt froze and looked up at his father again.

"My penance was to raise you as my own, Adam and Arthur decided. Hell, Angela demanded it, said she saw it happen in one of her visions!" he laughed. "I was already seeing Ruth and when I told her that I had gotten another woman pregnant? Oh! You bet she was mad! Then I told her I was being forced to take care of the baby because the mother was already married. Your mother couldn't have children of her own. She reconsidered and we raised you as--" Matt pulled back and clenched his fists again. "Sorry, she raised you as her own flesh and blood."

Matt thought this over. "That explains why Angela always seemed fond of me, but kept me at a distance. She knew I was hers, too." He thought a minute. "Matthew. She was the one who decided to hide Matthew, first, just like she tried to hide Claire. She convinced Janice to leave so she could keep Matthew away from the life that your friends--"

"Matt, Angela was a deceitful person who used others for her own gain. If I had anything to do with that, I apologize to you and your brothers. You remember how she played Sylar--sorry, Gabriel-- when Arthur returned, right?" Matt nodded. "She was Mama Cat and you children were her prey. Arthur confided to me that that was what attracted him to her at first, but he didn't realize she was even more devious than he could ever be. I didn't know for the longest time, though, that he was keeping her mindwiped, like your friend Bennet did to his wife, using his Haitian friend. 'It was for her own good' he told me. I don't know if he was using my power or Bennet's friend's, or what, but he was abusing her. Luckily for her, she overheard Arthur and Danny conspiring their original plan for New York, which would have killed Nathan. Arthur wiped that from her and Danny had a change of heart and he healed her mind. She remembered every single memory Arthur stole from her, including you, and he paid the price, we initially thought. He admired what became his downfall, unfortunately for him. Fortunately for the world."

"How could he let you work with him after what you had done? How could you work with _him_? Was that why you left me and mom?"

"In a way," he confessed. "Arthur was a very powerful man, literally and figuratively. He held you over my head for many years, and even had me trick you into thinking I was working for Adam when you finally found me."

Matt clenched up again, remembering the trap he and Nathan had been tricked into.

"Think about it, Matty, I told you back then it only begins with reading minds. I gave your powers a kick in the ass, and you thought you had trapped me in that nightmare, didn't you?"

Matt considered this, remembering his father's attack on PrimaTech and their showdown in Molly's own psychic prison.

"Didn't you ever wonder how I got out of there so fast?" Matt shrugged. "Backdoor. Don't tell me you never thought to do that? Always have a backdoor, son."

"I've never used my powers to trap somebody like that before," he protested.

"What about that little incident in 2012 with that so-called 'Doomsday Cult'? Don't tell me you didn't trick them with psychic illusions?"

"That was different, that was to save the world!" he protested again.

"Ah, but you still did it, didn't you?" Maury pointed at him. "They were trapped in their own heads until you released them, weren't they?" Matt nodded, ashamed. "I did the same thing with that girl you adopted. I never meant to harm her, just keep her out of the way so she wouldn't get hurt if Arthur's plan had to be accelerated with Adam running around free again. Why do you think I really trapped her in our old place? _BIG CLUE_, there, dummy! I wanted you to know it was me!" he laughed. "Anyway, that's why I was really there, at PrimaTech, to make sure Adam was out and recruit any other prisoners, like that Knox and Flint. I didn't know you took the girl in until later, just that she was spying on you and Janice when I stumbled across her. I doubt you remember, but we had a little contest of wills and made you collapse in a store?"

Matt thought back to when his power was new and still overwhelming him and remembered that night, when he went to get Jan some ice cream after...he glared at his father, who smiled.

Matt changed the subject. "The Level Five escape. That's what we realized when we finally regrouped and compared notes. I guess we played right into your hands, huh? What about the attack on Bishop, more misdirection?"

"Yes and no, you played into Arthur's hands, Matty. It was Arthur's gig all along."

"Then why did you go along with him?"

"He threatened you, son. He was basically blackmailing me into helping him because of you." Matt clenched again. Maury waved his hand. "No, I'm not blaming you for that, but I also realized someone needed to keep him in check. I was also recruiting people like Daphne and Hiro, and even you, in case I had to stop him, myself. I was also keeping Angela up to date, which is partly why he paralyzed her, so she sent Sylar in to help me. You helped her out there, Matty."

Matt nodded in understanding.

"I just didn't expect him to tell Daphne to kill you."

Matt glanced up, expectantly. He remembered how Daphne offered up that memory when she couldn't bring herself to say it out loud.

"Luckily, I had the presence of mind to stop everyone for a moment to step out of the way and make them think he snapped my neck. I'm sorry about that, but I couldn't break my silence without tipping him off so soon. I slipped the thought into his head to have Sylar dispose of my 'body', and he helped me escape, just like Peter. I guess I lucked out, what with Peter being thrown out the seventh story window, huh?"

Matt couldn't help but chuckle at this. Peter and Claire had both shared with him their events of that day. They had almost come to blows shortly after because of Peter's (then-future self) giving Matt a one-way trip to Usutu in Botswana immediately following his shooting Nathan, or so Matt had initially assumed.

"I actually heard you tricked Knox into killing you and Daphne, then, too?" Matt nodded. "And that you messed up, as he punched you through the gut and he didn't think to wash off until he was back at Pinehearst. That's when he realized he had been tricked. Luckily for you, I was still there and made him 'remember' that he had washed up before leaving your apartment. Sloppy work, Matty."

Matt was stunned. He remembered that day, and that was more because it had been his first time creating a vision for someone else, even a punk gangbanger like Knox, who he had met in passing before, when he was still on the Force. "Sorry, that trick was still new to me, and I wanted to get Daphne out of there before someone else came after us."

"Everything worked, though, didn't it?"

Matt smiled, glancing up towards his family. "I sure hope so. I don't think I would want to change too much, other than keeping that Formula under wraps, I guess."

"Gotta agree with you on that one, Matty," Maury agreed. "I still have no idea what Arthur could have been thinking by releasing so much," he threw up his hands, looking for the word, "chaos in the world! I know it was rough for you and your friends, but," he smiled, "you made it, didn't you?"

Matt had to agree. "True, but we lost a lot of good people along the way."

Both men sat there in silence for a minute.

"So I don't suppose you're going to let me see my grandsons, are you?"

"Dad! They're sleeping!"

"I didn't say wake them up, I just asked to see them," he protested. "Is that so bad?"

Matt sighed and got up. "I guess not, but if you wake them up, I'm not saving you from Daphne!"

"Fair enough, Matty," he said and clapped his son on his bare shoulder. Matt suddenly realized all he had on was the grungy boxers he slipped back on and had worn all day. Oy.

He put his finger to his mouth as he led his father upstairs and clicked on the hall light. He opened Matthew's door.

Maury leaned in and took a long look. The teen had already started kicking off his covers again. "Oh, he's gotten big! You're gonna have your hands full with that one!" he whispered.

"Dad!" Matt hissed.

"Please, Matty, that boy's gonna be fighting them off with a stick!" he joked. "He's gonna make me a great-grandfather before we know it!" He patted Matt's bare shoulder again.

Matt pulled the door close. "Will you keep it down?"

"Sorry, Matty, but this is the first I've gotten to see him! I'm excited! He's the spitting image of you at that age!"

"Yeah? The age I was when you took off?"

Maury put his hands on Matt's shoulders, pushing him back to the next door. "Matt, come on! I told you I didn't want to leave then, and explained why just downstairs! Just let an old man see his grandsons and I'll leave!"

"Keep. It. Down!" Matt hissed again, nodding to his own bedroom door at the other end of the hall, slightly ajar.

Maury acted like he was locking his lips sealed and leaned against the twins' doorframe, smiling. Matt sighed and opened the door.

Maury leaned in to see the twins. "Oh-ho! Two more chips off the old Parkman block, eh, Matty?"

"SHHH!"

"Sorry," he whispered. "Just let an old man dote on his grandsons!" He looked from one to the other, smiling.

Matt nudged him, and raised his eyebrows. You done, yet?

Maury nodded and headed back downstairs. "Those are some handsome boys you got up there, Matty."

Matt nodded and smiled, "Thanks, Dad. Yeah, I'm the proud papa of Clan Parkman." He patted his father's shoulder this time.

"I'm sorry I couldn't be there for you, Matty," he said, still looking up the stairs. "I wish I could make it up to you with those kids, but--"

"But you're still in hiding, presumed dead, just in case some of Arthur's cronies are still out there? You're staying away to keep us safe?" Matt crossed his arms.

He nodded. "I'm sorry, Matty."

"Don't be. We'll be fine, dad." He patted his father on the shoulder. "Mom and I were fine, and Janice and I were fine, and now Daphne and I are fine."

"So, what? You and Mohinder weren't fine? People are still talking about you two!"

Matt groaned. "Were you talking to, Nathan? There was nothing going on between us, Dad! Ask Molly!"

Maury hesitated. "I don't think she wants to see me, Matty. Apologize to her for me?"

"Don't you think it's a little late for that?"

"It's never too late to apologize, Matty. Don't you think tonight is proof of that?" He held out his arms.

Matt sighed. "Sorry, I guess," and fell into his father's arms for a bear hug. "I love you, dad."

"I love you, too, Matty. You were always my favorite son."

"You mean I'm not an only child?" He wasn't sure if this was another joke or another revelation.

Maury laughed and clasped his hand behind Matt's head and shoved. Matt collapsed on the couch behind him.

"Dad! That wasn't funny!" he complained and opened his eyes to the morning light. "What?" He looked around, squinting in the light and his cramped neck. Sigh. One of these days, dad! He thought angrily.

That was when he realized he was in bed and not on the couch. He sighed again and got up.

Daphne wasn't in the bathroom, and none of his three boys were in their beds. "Okay, what's going on here?"

He couldn't find anyone downstairs, and even Elvis was missing from his pen. In fact, even the tortoise's pen was gone. "What the hell?"

He looked out the front window. His car was still there.

"This is another prank! DAD! PETER! NATHAN! NOAH! MOHINDER!" he called out, verbally and mentally. "Jokes over, guys! Where's my family?"

"Matt? What are you complaining about, now?" Peter answered, mentally.

"Did you pick up my family this morning, including Elvis?"

"What? What are you talking about, Parkman?"

"I had a visit from my dad last night, he knocked me out, and now my entire family is missing! Is what I'm talking about!"

"I thought my dad killed yours?"

"That's what he wanted us to think! He's been in hiding again the last fourteen years! Now my family is MISSING!"

"Did you see a note? Try your cell phone?"

Matt threw up his hands. "Stop being so logical!"

"You just got up, didn't you? How much did you have to drink last night, birthday boy?"

"That's beside the point, Peter! My family is missing!"

Peter tapped him on the shoulder. Matt jumped, "GEEZ! Warn a guy when you sneak up on him!"

"Seriously, put on your pants and find your cell phone, Matt. Do all you California boys hang out in the nude?"

"I'm not nude!" Matt protested. "I've still got my boxers on!"

"Dude?" Peter pointed down, trying not to laugh.

"Tell me this is a dream. Tell me this is a dream. Tell me this is a dream!"

"So it's official, you go crazy at 52? Hm, that explains my parents. and Noah. and Sandra plotting his death. and--"

Matt crossed his arms. "Are you finished?"

"Are you getting dressed?"

"My house. I'll wear what I want to," Matt said indignantly.

"Or not?" Peter sighed. "Okay, did Daphne say she was going somewhere last night?"

"No."

"Where's your phone? Forget it, I've got mine, I'll call yours," he said, pulling his out and punching buttons. "It's ringing, but I don't hear anything here, do you?"

Matt listened, stepping up the lower stairs in case it was in his bedroom. He shook his head.

"Voicemail. Yeah, it's Peter, put some damn pants on, Porkman!"

"I heard that!"

"And you can hear it again as soon as you find your phone, Matt!"

"Not helping!"

"Right, we need more help! Coming right up!" He said, disappearing.

Matt sighed and headed for his bedroom to put something on.

"Matthew! What are you doing, parading around like that?"

"Mohinder? What the hell are you doing in my bedroom?"

"May I ask you the same? You are in my apartment, after all."

Matt looked around the airy loft in surprise. "I'm in hell."

"No, you're in my apartment. And completely naked."

"This is a prank. This has got to be a prank. _DAD? PETER!_ Knock it off! Send me home, right now!"

"Peter? Petrelli? How do you know Peter, Matthew?"

"Outside of the last twenty years? According to my father, he's my brother," Matt sighed plopping down on the couch. He looked around. "Um, Mohinder? Weren't we just in your apartment in LA? How did we get back to the old place in New York?"

"Matthew, will you please put some pants on before Molly sees you naked?"

"She has her own apartment, now. She better knock first."

"What? Matthew, Molly is a ten year old girl who does not need to see her foster father naked!"

"No, Molly is a twenty-four year old woman who is _way_ more responsible and grown up than I ever was. I suck at being 52, Mohinder. Enjoy the last years of your forties."

"_Forties?_ Matthew, I'm only 32!"

"Oh that does it!" Matt got up and plodded to the bathroom. He looked at himself in the mirror. "Where's the grey? I had grey--I mean, salt and pepper hair! What the hell is going on here?"

"You are naked, crazy, and liable to pull your stitches if you keep this up!"

Matt looked down to see the bandages scattered on his torso.

"No. no-no-no-no-no-NO!" he cried.

"_MAURY KNOCK IT OFF! I KNOW WHAT YOU'RE DOING AND IT ISN'T FUNNY, OLD MAN!!_"

"Matthew! Who are you yelling at?"

"My father! He's got me stuck in this-this nightmare scenario and thinks it's funny as hell! And if Nathan had anything to do with this, he's going down as well!"

"Matthew, just go in and put some pants on and then we'll sit down and discuss this calmly like rational adults."

"Fine! You go in and grab me some pants, and I'll be waiting right here for my father to drop the gag."

Mohinder rolled his eyes and retrieved his roommate's sweatpants and a t-shirt. "This should do for now," he said, handing them to Matt, still standing in the bathroom.

"Backdoor! He said something about a backdoor!"

"I don't want to know, Matthew."

"He told me he had a backdoor when I pulled him into Molly's nightmare and trapped him! Now, where would my father put it? Where?" Matt pinched his eyes and tried to remember how his father's jokes ran from his youth, while muttering backdoor over and over again. His eyes popped open.

"No! He wouldn't, would he?" He glanced at Mohinder, who was walking away from the bathroom. Think fast, Parkman! He grabbed a toothbrush and threw it on the floor in front of his roommate.

Mohinder sighed and bent over to pick it up.

Matt exclaimed, "I'm sorry Mohinder!" and stepped up behind his friend. He slapped the other man's ass. Nothing.

"Matthew! What are you doing?" Mohinder snapped upright.

He muttered, "I hate you, dad!" and grabbed his friends hips, and thrust his forward.

"Matt? What are you doing?"

Totally wrong voice for Mohinder. He opened his eyes.

"_Daphne?_ Thank god! Please tell me it's really you!"

"Yes, and if you want to fool around, wake me up first, please! Your birthday's over."

"Sorry, I just had a really weird dream!" And somebody's gonna be dead for real if I ever get hold of him again!

"So, do you really wanna fool around or do you have to go in to the office today?" she smiled over her shoulder.

"I took off so I could spend the day in your office, Daph!"

"Why Director Parkman, what's a poor speedster to do to pay her way around here?" she giggled.

They grinned at each other.

"_MOM! We're hungry!_ Where's breakfast?!"

They frowned at each other. "Well, they've got your appetite, that's for sure!" she scolded him.

"Are you sure? I seem to recall speedsters happen to have a high metabolism, as well." He ran his fingers up her arm.

"Go fix your sons breakfast, Matt," she ordered, turning over. "It'll be a bonding experience for you."

"I'd rather bond with you!" he said, nibbling her shoulder.

"_MOM!_ We're hungry!"

Daphne elbowed him. "Your dad's coming!" she bellowed.

"Not anymore, I'm not," he joked as he got up and pulled on some sweats, hoping his morning wood wouldn't be too noticeable.

"Hey, birthday boy? How about some breakfast in bed for your pregnant wife?"

He smiled down at her, going for a kiss. "That was the idea before the hellions arose from their slumber."

She laughed and pushed him away from kissing her. "_GO!_"

Matt plodded downstairs and hugged the boys good morning, kissing Matthew's head. "Sleep good on your first night, here, Matthew?"

"Yeah, but someone kept coming into my room, last night, I think?"

"Sorry, my bad," Matt explained as he pulled out bowls and Waffle-O's cereal. "I couldn't sleep and kept checking on you kids," he beamed.

"So who was the other guy?"

Matt stopped. "What? You saw him?"

Matthew gave his father a confused look. "Yeah, you guys were talking so loud, I couldn't help but hear."

Matt sighed. "Sorry about that, buddy. Old '_friend_' who got into town late and wanted to see the new addition. We didn't mean to wake you."

"So what's the cashier's check about?"

"Check? What check?" Matt asked. The twins stopped and gasped.

Matthew held up an envelope. "I found it on the dresser. It had my name on it, so I opened it. It wasn't supposed to be a 'wait to open' surprise, was it?"

Matt held up the envelope, waited for the letters to stop dancing, and saw "Matty" followed by an underlined "Junior". Aw crap, dad! He redirected his thoughts upstairs. _Daphne, could you do me a favor and check the twins room? Seems the 'Tooth Fairy' visited Matthew last night, left him some mail._

"Seriously? On it! Yep, we've got two envelopes addressed to the boys, here."

"Matthew, was there one addressed to Molly, as well?"

"Not that I noticed, why?"

"I'm going to bust the Tooth Fairy a new one, that's why," he sighed as Daphne ran into the room.

"Do I want to know what's going on? Tooth Fairy?" she asked, holding the two envelopes up.

"Did you see how much it was for?"

_$30,000!_ "um, yes?"

Matt sighed again and grabbed Daphne's envelopes and his phone off the counter charger. "I've got to make a phone call, be right back," he said as he went into his home office.

He flipped open his cell and saw two voicemails waiting. $90 grand says what one of those is, he thought as he hit the button to listen to them.

"Yeah, it's Peter, put some damn pants on, Porkman!"

Matt's face dropped as he sat down at his desk. How much of last night was real? Or did Maury actually pull a fast one on Peter, too?

The second message beeped. "Matt, don't be mad. What's an old man going to do besides spoil the grandkids? Put it in the bank for their college or something. Don't hold my gift against them. I love you, boy. All you kids."

Matt checked for the number: his own home line.

Dammit, Maury! He closed the phone and tossed it on the desk. Daphne entered and rubbed his shoulders.

"Well? What's the verdict?"

"Santa Claus is a total bastard," he said, scratching his chin.

Daphne frowned. "I thought you were Jewish? And that the Tooth Fairy visited last night?"

Matt looked over at her. "Truth Fairy, more like. Maybe? Once we get the boys fed and cleaned up, we're going to the bank. College fund."

"At the risk of repeating myself, as I seem to do constantly with you, do I want to know?"

"Can you keep a secret?" He took her hand in his.

"In this family?"

Matt sighed. "Birthday presents from...a family friend."

There came a knock at the door. "Uh, Dad? Can I come in?"

"Yeah, Matthew, come on in." Daphne left the two men alone.

"Nothing's wrong and you're not in trouble over this if that's what you want to know, son."

"No, um, it's just that, um," he hesitated. "You know that thing you showed me at your office, yesterday?"

Matt looked at him, smiled. _What can you do, Matthew?_

"I heard everything that happened last night, I'm sorry."

_Now when you say 'heard everything'?_

He tapped his head, nodded. "Between you and your, um, friend. Maury."

"You know who he really is?" Matt asked, smiling at this little revelation.

"Your father?" Matt nodded. "But he faked his death? To protect you?"

"So he claims."

"Am, um, am I going to have to abandon my family, too?" he asked, on the verge of tears. "I mean, I just found you and--"

Matt went to him and hugged him. "No, son. I sure as hell hope not, Matthew. I didn't understand why my father left me all those years ago, and one of the hardest things I ever did was leave your mother and stay away from you. Now that I have you back in my life, I'm going to fight to keep you there. A thousand Sylar's and Arthur Petrelli's each couldn't keep us apart, now, okay?"

"I guess," he nodded. "It's just that, um, what's a 'sylar' and who is Arthur Petrelli?"

Matt laughed and hugged his son again. "Hopefully, you'll never have to find out, Matthew. Just don't mention the S-word around your sister, ok?" He kissed his head again and pushed him back out to the kitchen. "Let's go eat breakfast. And, hey?"

"Yeah?"

"You know I love you, right?"

"Yeah. Either that, or you're really starting to creep me out with all the hugging and kissing, ya dirty old perv!"

"Alright, you don't get to hang out with your Uncle Nathan, kid!" he laughed. "We can discuss the mental stuff later."

Neither heard the phone buzz as they left the room. Molly sighed as her father's voicemail picked up. "Hey dad, I know it's probably early for you, but I had this envelope on my desk this morning. You wouldn't know anything about that, would you? Because I would have found Matthew for free, but thanks anyway for the fifty grand. Call me!"

He also missed the next one. "Matt, it's Peter. I don't know what you were up to last night, but stop pulling me into your dreams, man. If you want to get naked with another guy, call Mohinder, not me. Let me know when you want me to take the twins to Disney. Later."

--

That afternoon, Matt made a quick stop at Mohinder's lab. "You wouldn't happen to still have Angela's DNA on hand, would you, Professor?"

Mohinder gave him a puzzled look. "Yes, actually. Why do you ask?"

"This stays between the two of us, for now, understand?" Mohinder nodded and ran the tests Matt asked of him, his DNA against Angela's, Nathan's, and Peter's.

Confirmed. Confirmed. Confirmed.

He was surprised at the results and wondered why it had never occurred to him to cross-reference everybody who had been involved in their early days, especially after Claire and Gabriel's associations had been revealed.

Oh right, it would have been one big soap opera, that's why.

--

Matt called his extended family and insisted on everyone coming out for a 'big shindig' that Father's Day. He had 'a surprise or two' for them.

When everybody had assembled in his backyard, he called them to order from the back porch. "I just want to say thank you all for coming, first off. Our lives have been long and hard (_shut it, Nathan!_), many of us have cheated death several times over (right Nathan?)," he winked, getting a finger gun in response, "and we should embrace any chance we get to celebrate."

He raised his champagne glass to the group, a scattered "hear, hear!" was heard in response.

"Two years ago, when I turned fifty, you guys decided to give me one last afternoon with my mother in the past. I really appreciate that, and still do. Thank you, Peter and Daphne. (_achem!_) and, of course, Rabbi Blumenfeld." He raised his glass again, toward the man who had kept that visit a secret from him for so many years.

"Ignoring last year's 'fun'," he motioned to the Petrelli's and a blushing Claire. "This year has certainly topped that." Nathan and Peter exchanged puzzled looks. Noah smiled and hugged Sandra. "This year, there were no pranks (_quiet, Petrelli!_), just making an old man happy by giving him family." He turned and called into the house. "Mr. Albrecht?" The twins started to jump up, but Matt mentally told them to settle down and wait.

Matthew finally came outside to see the assembled group and stood by his father's side, a manila folder in his hand. Noah and Blumenfeld exchanged looks, smiling. Matt put his arm around his firstborn, beaming. "You all thought I lost Janice back in 2006, when this mess started and we came together to blow up New York. (_Hey! I did not!_) Jan and I separated for reasons we thought were best for us and her--our baby at the time." Matt hesitated before continuing. "Unfortunately, I lost track of her, only to find out she died in the Barstow disaster."

A number of surprised looks spread through the crowd, mouthing "oh no!" and "I'm sorry!" Matt nodded solemnly and continued.

"What I didn't know at the time, heck, nobody but one man knew, was that her child did not die with her. He was in the care of a man that I have trusted with many secrets over the years, Rabbi Blumenfeld." He motioned to the man again. "Of course, he never let me in on that particular secret," he winked.

He held his glass up towards the man, who blushed and waved Matt to go on.

"I thank you, Rabbi, from the bottom of my heart. For everything you have done for my family. You mended my mother's broken heart, you took care of us when we needed you. You were like a father to me, and you kept the biggest secret anyone could ever ask of you: you raised my son."

Puzzled looks turned to open jaws.

"Ladies and gentlemen, we are here to celebrate family. My wife and daughter put their heads together and came up with the best present anyone could ever ask for. I love you girls, and will never forget this as long as I live." He smiled and continued, choking up. "I would like to introduce you all to the son I thought I had lost many years ago, Matthew Hiram Albrecht. Parkman. Junior. (uh, we're still discussing the name thing.)"

The audience clapped and cheered for father and son.

"But wait! There's more!" he called out, with a glance to Daphne, who nodded. "Not only did I regain my long lost son on my--our?" Matthew smiled and nodded. "_Our!_ Our Birthday!" he chuckled. "BUT, I also found out that our family is still growing! We're pregnant again!" he shouted.

The women cheered Daphne and the men saluted him again. Laughing, Matt waved for silence once more.

"One more thing! My birthday surprises did not end there," he explained, as a few curious glances spread again. "That night, I had a visitor. (No, not you, Peter.) A face from the past who none of us ever expected to see again." He cast a nervous glance at Molly. "He, uh, he told me another secret in exchange for a look at the family he had missed out on. He said I was the best mistake he ever made," he laughed. Daphne pulled back to look at her husband, and Matt shared a glance with Suresh, who smiled. He took the folder from his son and held it up. "That secret has been confirmed by Mohinder. Nathan, Peter, this is for you." He held out the folder to the brothers.

Nathan opened it and flipped through it, his confused look giving way to shock. "Is-is this for real? It can't be, can it? Ma and your dad?"

_Long story, I'll tell you both in private, later_, Matt thought at them, before speaking aloud.

"It is, Nathan. You know I have long regarded you and Peter as friends and brothers in arms. It turns out, we really are brothers! Congratulations, you guys are uncles!" he shouted, hugging Matthew and Daphne on either side of him.

"Don't worry, Hiro, we still consider you family, too!" he added, noting the man's hesitant excitement.

Peter grabbed the folder to see for himself as their assembled brood crowded the pair. Claire, Monty, and Simon hugged their father, uncle, and friends turned new-found cousins. Matthew went down to join his brothers and meet his new extended relations. Molly formally introduced him to her boyfriend, Micah, and his cousin, Monica. Claire introduced him to her "Other Family", Noah, Sandra, and Lyle.

Even Hiro, and his wife, Minako, introduced themselves and their young sons, Kaito and Ando, to Matthew and Rabbi Blumenfeld. Rabbi thought Hiro was hilarious as a self-described "Samurai Businessman" and took to him right away.

Matt beamed and took in the assembled group. He held up his champagne glass once more. "To Family! Mazel Tov!"

Everyone responded in kind, "To Family!"

"_YATTA!_"

-

(Never The End)

_____________


End file.
